News

O’Reilly spox: NYT story ‘designed to embarrass’ him

by Julia Manchester 10/21/17 05:13 PM CDT

The spokesman for conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly said Saturday that a New York Times report that O’Reilly paid $32 million to settle a sexual harassment claim earlier this year was a story “designed to embarrass” him and hurt his chances at a future television spot.

“Once again, The New York Times has maliciously smeared Bill O’Reilly, this time even failing to print an affidavit from his former lawyer, Lis Wiehl, repudiating all allegations against Bill O’Reilly. The Times ignored that evidence, sworn under oath, and chose to rely on unsubstantiated allegations, anonymous sources and incomplete leaked or stolen documents,” Mark Fabiani said in a statement on Saturday.

{mosads}”In its latest diatribe against Bill O’Reilly, the Times printed leaked information provided by anonymous sources that is out of context, false, defamatory, and obviously designed to embarrass Bill O’Reilly and to keep him from competing in the market place,” the statement continued.

Fabiani’s statement comes after The New York Times reported that 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News, knew about the complaints against O’Reilly, which were brought by Wiehl, a former analyst for the network.

The complaint contained allegations of sexual harassment and a nonconsensual sexual relationship with O’Reilly, among other allegations, and was settled for $32 million in January, the Times said.

21st Century Fox said in a statement to the newspaper Saturday that the $32 million settlement was reached between O’Reilly and Wiehl as a result of a “personal issue” between them.

On the decision to renew O’Reilly’s contract, the company said Fox News “surely would have wanted to renew” his contract due to O’Reilly being “the biggest star in cable TV.”

21st Century Fox also said terms were added to O’Reilly’s new contract, which permitted his ouster from Fox if any additional revelations surfaced.

O’Reilly was fired from his Fox News post last April amid other sexual assault allegations.

The former Fox News host denied the report on Saturday, and said he never mistreated anyone.

“It’s politically and financially motivated,” he said, adding “and we can prove it with shocking information, but I’m not going to sit here in a courtroom for a year and a half and let my kids get beaten up every single day of their lives by a tabloid press that would sit there, and you know it.”