Lawyers for former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros said again this week that she turned down a “seven figure” settlement offer to drop her sexual harassment and hostile work environment lawsuit against the network. In a new filing, Tantaros’ side also produced an affidavit from a clinical psychologist who says she treated her in 2014, and that Tantaros described sexual harassment by ousted CEO Roger Ailes in her sessions.
Today, as Politico’s Kelsey Sutton tweeted, Tantaros bolstered her claims with an affidavit from Dr. Michele Berdy, a clinical psychologist who previously treated her:
The affidavit also says that Tantaros said she was sexually harassed by Bill O’Reilly. Berdy says Tantaros recounted “recurring unwanted advances” from her fellow host, including invitations to his “very private” beach house and comments about how he believed her to be “wild.”
The affidavit specifically says that Tantaros recalled Ailes demanding that she “twirl” for him, tried to get her to hug him, made insulting comments about women working at Fox, and asked her questions about the “sexuality and sexual relationships” of her fellow Fox News employees, like someone trying his hardest to hit every square on the Hostile Work Environment Bingo Board:
The detail about Ailes demanding Tantaros “twirl” to show him her ass has been repeated by several other women. When the scandal first broke after Gretchen Carlson sued Ailes for harassment, a clip resurfaced of Megyn Kelly saying she’d heard of female talent being asked to twirl.
“Executives, you need to stop doing that,” she said, before adding, “I’m not saying this is at Fox News.”
Kelly may have previously told outside investigators from a New York-based law firm that Ailes harassed her; she still hasn’t spoken publicly about Ailes’ ouster. Meanwhile, as Variety reports, Tantaros’ attorneys are making it very clear that she will not accept a settlement if it comes at the price of not being able to talk about Roger Ailes:
“As has been widely reported, Fox News previously offered Ms. Tantaros seven figures to renounce her harassment claims against Ailes (and others) in exchange for her eternal silence,” said Judd Burstein, a lawyer representing Tantaros in the matter, in a statement. ” She summarily refused their offer, and believes that any settlement must provide for the cleaning up of Fox News, a task that has regrettably fallen squarely on her shoulders.”
Fox News has yet to comment on this latest brick in the wall of their enduring embarrassment.
