Roger Ailes’ lawyer has denied Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s claim in an upcoming memoir that she was sexually harassed by the former network CEO.
“This is what Ms. Kelly had to say about Roger Ailes only one year ago on the Charlie Rose program. ‘I really care about Roger. And he has been nothing but good to me. And he’s been very loyal. And he’s had my back. And he’s looked out for me.’ Mr. Ailes denies her allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct of any kind,” Susan Estrich wrote in a statement issued Thursday on Ailes’ behalf.
Earlier on Thursday, Radar reported that it had obtained an advance version of Kelly’s book, “Settle for More” that include passages in which Kelly claims that Ailes attempted “to grab me repeatedly and kiss me on the lips.” According to Radar, the anchor also describes “several times” she was approached by Ailes to exchange sexual favors for career advancement.
“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,” Kelly said in an excerpt of the book obtained by Radar.
The book’s publisher, HarperCollins, has not returned TheWrap’s request for comment.
Ailes was forced to leave Fox News in disgrace in July after former host Gretchen Carlson sued him and the network for sexual harassment, and other women came forward with similar claims of inappropriate behavior. Carlson and the network settled for $20 million in September.