News

Kelly Allegedly Says Ailes Sexually Harassed Her

by Emily Shire

According to Radar Online, in her new memoir, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly alleges that Roger Ailes sexually harassed her. Ailes, the former head of Fox News, resigned in July after Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit against him. Other women, including former Fox News analyst Andrea Tantaros, have also made allegations of sexual harassment against Ailes. He has adamantly denied all the claims and has not been charged in regards to any of the claims. According to Radar Online, Ailes has not responded to its request for comment regarding the allegations in Kelly's memoir.

Radar Online, which says it has obtained an advance copy of Kelly's Settle for More (it has not stated whether it has done so with Kelly's permission), reported that Kelly writes about how in the summer of 2005, Ailes allegedly began sexually harassing her: According to Radar Online, she writes:

There was a pattern to his behavior. I would be called into Roger’s office, he would shut the door, and over the next hour or two, he would engage in a kind of cat-and-mouse game with me — veering between obviously inappropriate sexually charged comments (e.g. about the "very sexy bras" I must have and how he’d like to see me in them) and legitimate professional advice.

At the time of the alleged sexual harassment, Kelly had recently been hired as legal correspondent for Fox News. According to Radar Online, Kelly alleged in her memoir that Ailes' treatment “crossed a new line” in January 2006, allegedly trying to grab her repeatedly and kiss her on the lips. When Kelly said she refused the advance, she alleged that Ailes "asked me an ominous question: ‘When is your contract up?’ And then, for the third time, he tried to kiss me.” As noted by Radar Online, Ailes has not yet commented on the allegations in Settle for More.

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

According to the excerpts shared by Radar Online, Kelly pointblank alleges that Ailes offered to advance her career “in exchange for sexual favors.” Ailes has not responded to these allegations.

New York Magazine reported in July that sources close to the 21st Century Fox (the parent company of Fox News) investigation of Ailes said that Kelly had said he had sexually harassed her. Kelly had not confirmed that account, and she has not spoken publicly about any sexual assault allegations against Ailes. New York magazine reported that Ailes' spokesperson, Irene Briganti, did not respond to its request for comment.

21st Century Fox settled Carlson's lawsuit for $20 million, but there is still a pending lawsuit filed by Tantaros. The former Fox News analyst also alleged that Ailes sexually harassed her, and as with Carlson, Ailes has denied Tantaros' claims. While Kelly has not filed any suits, some in the media speculated about how she felt about the allegations when other women who worked with Ailes came forward earlier this year. ABC News Josh Margolin wrote an article in July titled "How Megyn Kelly's Silence Signaled The Worst For Roger Ailes."

Settle for More is scheduled to be released on Nov. 15.