NEW YORK (AP) Fox News Channel stars Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Howard Kurtz were accused of sexual harassment by a frequent on-air guest in a lawsuit filed Monday that the network called frivolous and untrue. Fuck you and your safe word, he wrote in one message. Fox News fires Ed Henry after sexual misconduct investigation. "With hospitalizations in the single digits at each of our hospitals, and the positivity rate now hovering at about 1 percent, we're optimistic that the worst is behind us," Riney said at the time. The claims against CNN's Stelter andCamerota stem from their on-air conversation during a July2020episode of CNN's "New Day" during which the two discussed Henry having a history of misconduct. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York by the Wigdor LLC law firm, which has represented several Fox News staffers in the past in complaints that alleged sexual or racial discrimination at the company. The suit alleges Caldwell, a Fox News political analyst based in Miami, texted a video of him with Ann Coulter and said Ann is my friend. The suit alleges Caldwell used that to attempt to coerce Areu into dating him. Fox said there were no sexual harassment claims against Henry until they learned about Eckharts allegations last month. He also allegedly took pictures of her on his cellphone. A former Fox News reporter and associate producer, along with a frequent guest on the network, have leveled brutal and disturbing sexual-assault allegations against former host Ed Henry as well as harassment allegations against current on-air talent like hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Howard Kurtz. Inreality, however, Ms. Scott had long been an instrument to cover upthe existence of sexual misconduct at Fox News,"adding she "has repeatedly covered up sexual misconduct by seniorFox News management. Eckhart was the anonymous accuserwhose allegations against Henry led to his firing on July 1, according to the lawsuit. The network released a memo on July 1 stating that Henry had been fired after an investigation into a complaint about willful sexual misconduct in the workplace., In a statement Fox News said Areu and Eckhart can pursue claims against Henry directly with him, as FOX News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckharts claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network.. In the cases of Carlson and Kurtz, Areu believed the men were making sexual advances, the lawsuit said. That evidence includes graphic photos and other aggressively suggestive communications that Ms. Eckhart sent to Mr. Henry.. The lawsuit alleges Hannity threw $100 on the desk during a taping of his show on March 8, 2018, and called out to the room demanding someone take Areu on a date and for drinks. ", In a statement Foti said: "The Me Too movement has helped to bring to light a number of injustices in our society, and everyone that has suffered deserves to be heard. On Wednesday, Henry Ford Hospital employees filed a lawsuit against Henry Ford Hospital in U.S. District Court. The network denied knowing of sexual misconduct by Henry before this year. Henry Hodges, who was sentenced to death for the 1990 killing of a telephone repairman, filed a lawsuit last October accusing the state of providing Meanwhile, Areu alleges Henry sent Ms. Areu a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages which are in her possession throughout the first half of this year. She also claims Sean Hannity demeaned her on the set of his show in front of crew and staffers, and alleges Tucker Carlson propositioned her one evening in New York after the broadcast of his primetime program. However, he returned to Fox News later that year, taking a position as chief national correspondent. She said that he had asked Eckhart to be his sex slave and little whore and punished her when she did not comply with his demands. The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship.". Cox, a lawyer in Evansville, also suffered severe head injuries and amnesia, in a 1979 motorcycle accident. The lawsuit asserts Fox executives knew that Henry had been accused of sexual misconduct long before June 25. The lawsuit on behalf of John and Joan Cox was filed this week in federal court in New York City. Eventually, after one meeting at a hotel, ostensibly to discuss her career prospects, Eckhart recalled relenting to Henrys advances, fearing that her career would be over if she refused Mr. Henry.. Moreover, the investigator did not even speak with either of our clients, even though both Ms. Eckhart and Ms. Areu offered to meet with him under reasonable conditions. ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) The father of an Emory & Henry College student killed in a 2020 car crash filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the college on May 16. "Mr. Henry was not terminated after Fox News Over 50 Michigan health care workers have filed a lawsuit with their employer, stating that the COVID-19 vaccine is an infringement upon their human rights. This story was updated on July 22 to include a later statement on Monday from Fox News. The MeToo movement has helped to bring to light a number of injustices in our society, and everyone that has suffered deserves to be heard. The complaint filed on Monday graphically presents multiple allegations of sexual abuse suffered by Jennifer Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox Business, who said that Henry suggested he could help advance her career in exchange for sex. It also alleges that Carlson in December 2018 told Areu he would be alone in New York City that night in a hotel room without his wife or kids. DeSantis To Run In 2024Its The Latest Sign Trump Is Losing Battleground States, Twitters Money Problems Deepen: Revenues Reportedly Plummet As Major Advertisers Jump Ship After Musks Takeover, Nursing Homes Face Federal Audit For Alleged Overuse Of Antipsychotic Drugs, George Santos Accused Of Pocketing Money Raised To Save Disabled Veterans Dying Service Dog. Fox News and Areus attorneys warring statements on her claims are at the bottom of this story. Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry (from left) and high-profile hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity are all named in a lawsuit alleging different instances of sexual misconduct. Some of the names in leadership may have changed since (former CEOf) Roger Ailes regime, but Fox News institutional apathy towards sexual misconduct has not," the lawsuit asserts. Areu, who was also a regular guest on Kurtz's MediaBuzz, alleges that the host tried to get her to come alone to his hotel room on the premise of discussing a full-time job at the network. Editor's note: This report includes graphic descriptions of sexual assault accusations. AP That evidence includes graphic photos and other aggressively suggestive communications that Ms. Eckhart sent to Mr. Henry.. Two women filed a lawsuit against Fox News that named network stars Hannity, Carlson and Ed Henry. It says that Fox News was notified on June 25 that Eckhart retained legal counsel in connection with allegations of assault and rape against Henry. In 2017, one of the networks most high-profile anchors, Bill OReilly, was fired after it was revealed that he, along with Fox, had reached numerous settlements with women accusing him of misconduct. Pictured above are four Henry Ford health care workers in front of Henry Ford Hospital on April 8, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. Areu awkwardly sidestepped the advances and declined to spend the night at Carlsons hotel. But it was the accusations made by Eckhart, a former employee, that led to the anchors dismissal. USA TODAY has also reached out to CNN for comment. As of Tuesday, nearly 92 percent of Henry Ford employees have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The video depicted Ms. Coulter being swarmed by media. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Rather, Mr. Henrys employment was terminated because Fox News realized that it was on the precipice of a public relations nightmare and wanted to get out ahead of this suit and be able to claim that it had done the right thing. Areu, who was a regular guest on The Sean Hannity Show and Tucker Carlson Tonight until 2018, also accused host Sean Hannity of conducting a mock dating auction with her as the prize. More: Fox News fined $1 million in New York City settlement of sexual harassment allegations Henry's lawsuit against Fox News came a day after the New York City Commission on Human Rights fined Fox News $1 million in a settlement stemming from a sexual harassment investigation, the highest civil penalty in the commission's history. On ExpressNews.com: Thomas J. Henry, law firm among defendants in lawsuit filed by alleged sexual assault victim She accused Henry, Thomas J. Henry Law Fox announced on July 1 that it fired Henry after conducting an internal investigation into Henrys willful sexual misconduct. But Mondays complaint alleged that the network and higher-ups including Fox News president Jay Wallace and Fox Business Network President Lauren Petterson, were already aware of several years-old complaints against the former on-air host, and he continued to receive promotions anyhow. In a statement, Areu said: "Like Ms. Eckhart, I too was fearful to come forward. When she declined his "advances," he refused to meet with her about a job. Fox News White House correspondent Ed Henry prepares to do a stand-up in the Brady Briefing Room of [+] the White House in Washington, D.C. Jennifer Eckhart, a former Fox Business associate producer, alleges in the suit that Henry preyed upon, manipulated and groomed her and sexually assaulted her on company premises when she did not comply, further accusing him of raping her at a hotel the network used to lodge visiting employees. Eckhart's suit, which seeks a monetary award, also alleges that Henry violated federal sex trafficking laws. He repeatedly yelled who wants to take her on a date? Take her on a date to Del Friscos. Ms. Areu was completely mortified and made clear that she was incredibly uncomfortable with Mr. Hannitys misogynistic behavior by quietly pleading with one of her friends in the room to accept the money so that the humiliation would end., The complaint continued: To make matters worse, Ms. Areu was stuck and could not even leave because Mr. Hannity engaged in this conduct while she was hooked into studio equipment that could only have been removed by a stagehand., During a December 2018 appearance on Tucker Carlsons show, meanwhile, the host demanded that Areu stay on the set after her segment and then, according to the lawsuit, hardly making any effort to hide his intentions, began telling Ms. Areu that he would be alone in New York City that night, and specifically said that he would be staying alone in his hotel room without any wife or kids., The complaint continued: Without question, Mr. Carlson was probing to see whether Ms. Areu was interested in a sexual relationship. The lawsuit asserts that "Fox News continues to protect and reward perpetrators of sexual harassment and refuses to take accountability for putting such persons in positions of power from which they can subject women to sexual misconduct, sexual assault and, in the case of Ms. Eckhart, rape.". I chose to file this complaint because no woman should have to suffer the conduct to which I was subjected, much less the egregious conduct suffered by Ms. Eckhart, said Cathy Areu, a frequent guest on Fox News programs and shows that run on Fox Nation, the companys streaming service. Nevertheless, Fox News would have the public believe that it is a different place from the Fox News that was run by former disgraced Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. Fox News, which in recent years has been hit by numerous accusations of sexual misconduct that forced out founder Roger Ailes and top host Bill O'Reilly, announced on July 1 that it had fired Henry after investigating an accusation of sexual misconduct against him by a former employee. She declined but invited him to dinner with her and a friend in town, which he declined. After Ailes depature, Bill OReilly, once the linchpin of Foxs primetime schedule, was pushed out in 2017 after facing allegations of harassment. Like him, I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (and 5 week coma) from a car accident, instead of a bullet! Ed Henry looks forward to presenting actual facts and evidence, which will contradict the fictional accounts contained in the complaint. "Millions of Americans trust NPR to provide accurate information about the world and their communities every day; we take this responsibility very seriously. The lawsuit further alleged that Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell repeatedly pressed Areu to date him, using the possibility of an introduction to his friend Ann Coulter as a lure. Disclosure: Ed Henry is married to NPR Chief Washington Editor Shirley Henry. "The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. The lawsuit alleges that Henry raped Eckhart at a Manhattan hotel in 2017 while she was restrained in metal handcuffs. Henry was terminated on July 1 after Fox News received a complaint on June 25 from a former employee about Henrys behavior from years ago, according to a statement made in July by Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace. I will fight with every fiber of my being, Henry tweeted on Monday evening. However, I simply could not stay silent given the tremendous harm that Mr. Henry and others at Fox News have caused for women affiliated with the company. Unfortunately, it is actually worse, the suit says. Unfortunately, it is actually worse.. These defamation claims come a day after Henry filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey, against Fox News and its CEO. He then began calling out to the men in the room and demanding that someone take Ms. Areu out on a date for drinks at Del Friscos. Michigan health care workers have recently filed a lawsuit with their employer, stating that the COVID-19 vaccine is an infringement upon their human rights. Regarding Henry was released in 1991, but the couple didn't see it until renting the videotape in March 1992. A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges ex-Fox News host Ed Henry raped a woman he had groomed and coerced into having a sexual relationship when she did Eckhart and co-plaintiff Cathy Areu are represented by Douglas Wigdor, a veteran of sexually charged suits against Fox News. As NPR's David Folkenflik reported earlier this month, Henry was promoted despite one of his colleagues having warned senior executives that reinstating him could damage Fox's efforts at reforming its workplace culture. The culture under Ailes was subsequently given the Hollywood treatment:"Bombshell," which earned Charlize Theron an Oscar nomination for playing Megyn Kelly this year,is based on the 2016 real-life sexual misconduct allegations against Ailes. In one video, titled Fastest Interview, someone purportedlyinterviewing for a position exposes her vagina and afterward the interviewer indicates that she got the job. Fox has battled allegations of sexual misconduct in the past, including against network chief Ailes, who died in 2017. Among the most serious of the allegations, Eckhart says that in 2015, Henry forced her to perform oral sex on him at the Fox News building in New York. The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. Fox News fined $1 million in New York City settlement of sexual harassment allegations, Bill Cosby released from prison after sex assault conviction overturned by Pa. Supreme Court, James Franco agrees to pay $2.2M to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit filed by former students, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Specifically, Ms. Areu asked, Can I take you two for lunch, and Mr. Caldwell responded, Take me to lunch. Ms. Areu ignored this request as well, and Mr. Caldwell never introduced her to Ms. Coulter., Cathy Areu said in a statement: Like Ms. Eckhart I was too fearful to come forward. Areu alleges in the complaint that Henry sent her "a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages" including photographs and video. Mr. Kurtz, who plainly wanted to see Ms. Areu only if she were alone and at his hotel (i.e., for sexual reasons) declined, the complaint claimed. This is not one of those cases," the statement said. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it is precisely because of these types of attacks that many victims of sexual assault and rape suffer in silence.. 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Ed Henry looks forward to presenting actual facts and evidence, which will contradict the fictional accounts contained in the complaint. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. ", According to the complaint, "Mr. Carlson was probing to see whether Ms. Areu was interested in a sexual relationship." Ms. Areu and Jennifer Eckhartcan pursue their claims against Ed Henry directly with him, as Fox News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckharts claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network.. The complaint includes a number of graphic text messages that Henry allegedly sent Eckhart following the 2017 incident. Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry (from left) and high-profile hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity are all named in a lawsuit alleging different instances of sexual misconduct. We take all claims of harassment, misconduct and retaliation seriously, promptly investigating them and taking immediate action as needed in this case, the appropriate action based on our investigation is to defend vigorously against these baseless allegations.. There were not sexual harassment claims against Ed Henry at FOX News prior to Jennifer Eckharts claim on June 25, 2020, the spokesperson said. In December 2018, after appearing on his show, the complaint alleges that Carlson told Areu "that he would be alone in New York City that night, and specifically said that he would be staying alone in his hotel room without any wife or kids. In a statement, Eckhart said: "My decision to speak out was not an easy one, but I refuse to let fear of retaliation, victim shaming and further attacks intimidate me into remaining silent.". Hannity and Carlson represent two-thirds of Foxs lucrative prime-time lineup, while Kurtz hosts the weekend Media Buzz show. Fox News issued a statement on behalf of Hannity, Carlson and Kurtz, calling the claims in the suit "false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit.". Meanwhile, journalist Cathy Areu, who had been a frequent on-air guest on Fox News programsoften labeled by Carlson as The Liberal Sherpa for her ability to explain obscure, often lazily stereotyped left-wing beliefs to his viewershipalleged in the lawsuit that in early 2020,Henry sent her a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messageswhich are in her possession.. "Variants will continue to emerge, and surges can happen at any time, anywhere," Riney continued. The morning after Ms. Areu rejected Mr. Kurtzs advances, it continued, he refused to meet with her at the studio and curtly said to her, Im booked solid this morning which is why I hoped to connect last night. Mr. Kurtz was punishing Ms. Areu for refusing to join him at his hotel.
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