Fox News has settled a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by former contributor Julie Roginsky for an undisclosed amount of money, TheWrap has learned.
In her suit, filed in April, Roginsky had said that former network chief Roger Ailes kept her from a position on “The Five” after she refused to engage in a sexual relationship with him.
Ailes “unlawfully harassed, discriminated against, and retaliated against Roginsky and sabotaged her career,” the suit read. Roginsky began appearing as a commentator on Fox News in 2004 and remained on-air as a contributor during much of her litigation.
Former Fox News co-president Bill Shine was also named in the original complaint.
In her original suit, Roginsky said that Ailes’ actions led not just to economic damage, but severe emotional distress.
“As a direct and proximate result of Defendant Fox News’ conduct, Roginsky has suffered damage to her career path, adverse job consequences, including economic damages, and continues to suffer damages, including severe mental, physical and emotional stress, pain and suffering, anxiety, stress, humiliation, exacerbation of existing medical conditions and personal sickness, loss of enjoyment of life and damage to her reputation and career,” the lawsuit stated.
The Roginsky settlement puts to bed another legacy of the late Ailes’ leadership of the channel. The reckoning at the news giant began when network host Gretchen Carlson first raised the alarm about Ailes back in July, 2016. The channel’s parent 21st Century Fox ultimately paid out $20 million to Carlson as a result.
A subsequent investigation into Ailes led to his departure from the channel as well with an estimated $40 million severance package.
Reps for Fox News were not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.