Fox will conduct an investigation into the numerous sexual harassment claims against Bill O’Reilly, an attorney representing one of his accusers has said.
Civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom appeared on CNN’s Reliable Sources on Sunday to say that she received a call from Fox News attorneys alerting her to the probe on Friday.
“I told them I really appreciate that and let’s get going as soon as possible,” she said. “I’m told that they are taking it seriously, and they are going to do the investigation that’s legally required of them.”
Fox News’ parent company, 21st Century Fox, confirmed in a statement that it has retained the services of the firm Paul Weiss to look into the claims.
“21st Century Fox investigates all complaints and we have asked the law firm Paul Weiss to continue assisting the company in these serious matters,” it read.
The investigation was sparked after a New York Times report found that a total of five women received a cumulative $13 million from either O’Reilly himself or Fox in exchange for agreeing not to take legal action.
Last week, Bloom posted a video of herself and one of O’Reilly’s alleged victims, Wendy Walsh, making a complaint against O’Reilly using Fox’s corporate hotline.
According to the Times, Walsh was a guest on The O’Reilly Factor back in 2013, though the show’s eponymous host backed out of his promise to make her a regular contributor after she refused his invitation to accompany him to his hotel suite.
News of O’Reilly’s alleged harassment has prompted dozens of companies to pull ads from The O’Reilly Factor.