Fox settled sex harassment claim against Bill O’Reilly by host Juliet Huddy, New York Times reports

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox settled allegations that Fox News host Bill O’Reilly sexually harassed on-air personality Juliet Huddy, the New York Times reported.

In exchange for her silence and agreement not to sue the company, Huddy was paid a sum in the high six figures, the newspaper said, citing documents related to the matter as well as sources it didn’t identify.

The allegations targeted the top personality on Fox News, the most-watched channel on cable TV and one of Fox’s most profitable businesses. O’Reilly, whose contract expires later this year, is the network’s biggest ratings-getter.

With one of the the most loyal audiences in TV, Fox News has maintained its lead in the ratings race despite an internal crisis that began last year when its head Roger Ailes was accused of sexual harassment, leading to his ouster from the network he co-founded. The network has pummeled CNN and MSNBC in the ratings since the presidential election in November.

Huddy’s harassment allegations are the latest to emerge from a woman at Fox News. Gretchen Carlson, who sued Ailes, left the network and was paid a US$20 million settlement by the network. Megyn Kelly, whose departure was announced last week, also said that Ailes had harassed her. Carlson was reported to have recordings to substantiate her allegations.

Huddy said O’Reilly pursued a sexual relationship with her in 2011, and when she rebuffed his advances he tried to derail her career, according to a draft of a letter from her lawyers to Fox News that was obtained by Times.