Just over two weeks after the it came out that Fox News has paid at least $13 million in settlements to women who accused O’Reilly of sexual harassment, the network announced this morning that it has parted ways with the host of “The O’Reilly Factor” after 21 years.
The firing caps a brutal two weeks for O’Reilly, who faced his first sexual harassment scandal in 2004 but came away unscathed (even if his name became synonymous with the word “falafel”). Since the multiple settlements paid by Fox became public however, additional accusers have come forward with even more disturbing allegations, Fox’s internal morale has reportedly cratered, and the “Factor” has seen a massive exodus of advertisers.
Needless to say, O’Reilly’s critics are positively ecstatic. Liberal Twitter resembled a combination of “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” and the Ewok celebration at the end of “Return of the Jedi,” as celebs and civilians alike rejoiced in the apparent demise of O’Reilly’s career, and the manner in which it happened.
Some reveled in the fact that O’Reilly is out of a job.
I Was Ambushed By Bill O’Reilly. But I Still Have A Job And He Doesn’t. AMA.
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) April 19, 2017
Mission Accomplished pic.twitter.com/MKlOQ1kdQa
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 19, 2017
Others put his name forward as a possible replacement for White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
Fox just fired Bill O'Reilly. Has Trump found his top candidate to replace Sean Spicer?
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) April 19, 2017
Bill O'Reilly's brand is so toxic right now the only place that might hire him is the White House.
— nxthompson (@nxthompson) April 19, 2017
Others simply basked in the warm glow of schadenfreude.
https://twitter.com/michaelianblack/status/854760217724190720
https://twitter.com/robinthede/status/854779907217399808
Aaron Hernandez is dead. Serena is pregnant. Bill O’Reilly is unemployed. It’s not even 9 a.m. out here in California.
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 19, 2017
the desire to do something about Bill O'Reilly's shittiness is what got me into media writing and politics, so this is nice
— Simon Maloy (@SimonMaloy) April 19, 2017
how can I pre-preorder the revenge fantasy novel Bill O'Reilly started writing an hour ago?
— Simon Maloy (@SimonMaloy) April 19, 2017
It's poetic justice that Bill O'reilly is getting fired from Fox News during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
— Jacob Wright (@_K_Takahiro_) April 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/seankent/status/854734296418045956
#resist #persist #hewaswarned pic.twitter.com/EHGOFnp2do
— Debra Messing✍? (@DebraMessing) April 19, 2017
And here’s a few from before O’Reilly was officially canned, but they’re too good not to share.
#resist #persist #hewaswarned pic.twitter.com/EHGOFnp2do
— Debra Messing✍? (@DebraMessing) April 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/JenKirkman/status/854736818914418688
Bill O'Reilly. Bill Cosby. Billy Bush.
I'M THE ONLY GOOD BILLY ON TV!!!!!
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) April 19, 2017