Fox settles sexual harassment lawsuit brought by Gretchen Carlson for reported US$20 million, says sorry for treatment

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Television personality Gretchen Carlson appears on the set of ‘Fox & Friends’. Photo: AP

Published: 10:30pm, 6 Sep 2016Updated: 5:09pm, 7 Sep 2016

Fox News said on Tuesday it had settled a sexual harassment lawsuit by former news host Gretchen Carlson against cable channel boss Roger Ailes for a reported US$20 million, and apologised for her treatment on the job.

We sincerely regret and apologise for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve

Statement by 21st Century Fox

A statement offered no details on the settlement, but the magazine Vanity Fair, citing sources familiar with the case, said Fox would pay the multi-million-dollar sum to the journalist and former Miss America.

A statement by the parent firm 21st Century Fox said, “We sincerely regret and apologise for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve.”

The lawsuit led to the resignation of the politically powerful Ailes, a confidante of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch who helped build Fox into a leader in cable news.

In the statement, Carlson said she was “gratified” with the settlement and added, “I’m ready to move on to the next chapter of my life in which I will redouble my efforts to empower women in the workplace.”

Ailes had denied allegations that he had sought to pressure Carlson into a sexual relationship, but the lawsuit led to reports of other women coming forward to support Carlson’s allegations of a hostile work environment.

Carlson, a top Fox personality, had been with the network for more than a decade.