John Huddy, a former Fox News correspondent who was fired after his sister spoke out against Bill O’Reilly, has hired a lawyer, he told TheWrap.

Huddy, who worked in Jerusalem, was terminated on Oct. 23, the same day his sister, former Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy, talked about her experiences with O’Reilly to NBC’s Megyn Kelly. Juliet Huddy settled a sexual harassment suit against O’Reilly earlier this year.

“At this point I’m retaining a lawyer to fight Fox’s false accusations,” John Huddy said. “In my experience at FNC and to my knowledge I have never seen someone summarily fired the way I was. What I have seen is Fox renewing the contracts of people accused of sexual harassment, assault, lewd behavior and fabricating stories.”

Also Read: Fox News Fires Bill O'Reilly Accuser's Brother John Huddy

The network has maintained that the dismissal was related to a “physical altercation” involving John Huddy earlier this month. “”Following a thorough investigation into a physical altercation earlier this month, FOX News made the decision to sever ties with Jerusalem-based correspondent John Huddy. The network’s investigation concluded last week, and due to observation of the Sabbath on Friday, terminated Huddy’s employment this morning,” the network said in a statement Oct. 23.

John Huddy denied any physical altercation occurred.

“There was never any ‘physical altercation’ as alleged by Fox. The first I heard I was terminated for a ‘physical altercation’ was by reading it in the news. It simply didn’t happen.” he said.

Huddy said the incident Fox News appeared to be referencing was an argument he had at the Barcelona airport on Oct. 12, after a freelance photographer pushed an equipment cart at him. Huddy said that there was nothing physical about the exchange.

Also Read: Bill O'Reilly Sues Ex-New Jersey Rep for $5 Million in Defamation Case

He called Fox News “a company that specializes in deceit. It is a company that tries to silence people who speak out by intimidation, slander and threats. They did it to my sister and now they’re trying to do it to me.”

Huddy added that part of that effort included Fox News’ seizure of all his communications equipment.

“Fox confiscated all means of communication I had — phones, computers and even my car,” he said.

O’Reilly was forced out of Fox News after numerous sexual harassment settlements came to light. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that he paid out a whopping $32 million to a woman who accused him of “repeated harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of gay pornography and other sexually explicit material to her.”

O’Reilly has denied any wrongdoing, and said he paid the settlement to spare his children from embarrassment.

Timeline of Fox Sexual Harassment and Other Scandals, From Roger Ailes to Bill O'Reilly (Photos)

The sudden ousting of Fox Sports President Jamie Horowitz and the suspension of Fox Business Host Charles Payne this week are the latest signs of a sea shift in the Murdoch-run entertainment giant in its response to allegations of sexual harassment and other questionable behavior by executives and on-air talent.
Various
July 6, 2016: Gretchen Carlson files lawsuit against Roger Ailes
Former “Fox & Friends” anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, who denied her claims.
Fox and Friends
July 9, 2016: Six other women claim Ailes harassed them
Former Republican National Committee field adviser Kellie Boyle and model Marsha Callahan were among the six women who accused Ailes of previous harassment. Ailes denied the claims.
Getty Images
July 19, 2016: Megyn Kelly says she was sexually harassed by Ailes
Amid an external law firm’s investigation into the multiple claims against Ailes, then primetime host Megyn Kelly told investigators that she had been harassed by Ailes years ago. Kelly wrote in her memoir about talking to investigators about the allegations.
Fox News
July 21, 2016: Ailes resigns
Fox News announced that Ailes had resigned as network chairman after two decades of dominating cable news, walking away with a $40 million severance package.
Getty Images
Jan. 10, 2017: Bill O’Reilly settlement comes to light
News surfaced that the “O’Reilly Factor” host had previously settled with Juliet Huddy, a Fox News employee who claimed he tried to derail her career after she rebuffed his romantic advances.
Getty Images
March 8, 2017: Fox News settles with Tamara N. Holder
Fox News paid former on-air contributor Tamara N. Holder more than $2.5 million following allegations that Fox News Latino vice president Francisco Cortes tried to coerce her into performing oral sex on him.
Fox News Latino
March 24, 2017: Fox News comptroller Judy Slater sacked
Fox News has fired longtime comptroller Judy Slater after an internal investigation concluded she had engaged in a pattern of racist comments and behavior; several of the employees later filed lawsuits against the network over the incidents.
Fox News
April 1, 2017: Claims against O’Reilly settled for $13 million
A New York Times investigation found that O’Reilly and Fox News had paid $13 million in total to five women who had worked or appeared on “O’Reilly Factor” over the years and made claims of sexual harassment or other inappropriate behavior.
Fox News
April 3, 2017: Another lawsuit against Ailes and Fox News
Fox News contributor Julie Roginsky filed a lawsuit accusing Ailes of sexually harassing her. She also alleged that Fox News co-president Bill Shine retaliated against her for making the claims. Ailes denied the allegations, and Shine declined to comment.
Getty Images
April 19, 2017: Fox News cuts ties with O’Reilly
Fox News announced that O’Reilly would not return to the network following its external investigation into claims of sexual harassment.
Twitter
April 21, 2017: Debbie Schlussel claims Sean Hannity invited her to his hotel
Former Fox News guest Debbie Schlussel claimed that primetime host Sean Hannity had once invited her back to his hotel after an event they attended, and that she was never invited back to Hannity's show after she rebuffed his advances. The host denied the claims. Schlussel later clarified that she did not consider the encounter to constitute sexual harassment. "I thought he was weird and creepy," she told LawNewz.
Getty Images
April 24, 2017: Andrea Tarantos files her own lawsuit
Andrea Tantaros, a former host of the Fox show “The Five,” filed a new lawsuit against Ailes, Shine and other network executives, claiming that an extensive online harassment campaign had been waged against her. Fox News sought arbitration and called Tantaros “not a victim” but “an opportunist.”
Various
May 1, 2017: Bill Shine resigns
Following Roginsky and Tarantos’ lawsuits, Fox News announced that Shine was exiting the network.
Getty Images
May 19, 2017: Bob Beckel fired at Fox News
Fox News fired “The Five” co-host Bob Beckel after he was accused of making an insensitive remark to an African-American employee. Fox News human resources took less than 48 hours to investigate the incident and recommend dismissal, a network executive told TheWrap.
Fox News
June 19, 2017: Investigation by the state of New York
The New York State Division on Human Rights launched an investigation into Fox News, over her sexual harassment claims by former “O’Reilly Factor” guest commentator Wendy Walsh against O’Reilly, Walsh’s attorney Lisa Bloom said. O’Reilly has denied Walsh’s claims.
Fox News
July 3, 2017: Fox Sports fires Jamie Horowtiz
Jamie Horowitz was abruptly ousted from his position as president of Fox Sports National Networks amid allegations of sexual harassment against Horowitz, an individual familiar with the matter told the New York Times. Horowitz’s attorney denied any misconduct.
Getty Images
July 6, 2017: Fox Business suspends Charles Payne
Charles Payne, the host of Fox Business’ “Making Money,” was suspended by the network due to an investigation over a three-year relationship with a married political analyst who appeared as a guest on Fox Business and Fox News, the Los Angeles Times reported. Payne denied allegations of sexual harassment, calling them an “ugly lie.”
Fox

1 of 18

Here’s everything you need to know about accusations that the company has faced so far

The sudden ousting of Fox Sports President Jamie Horowitz and the suspension of Fox Business Host Charles Payne this week are the latest signs of a sea shift in the Murdoch-run entertainment giant in its response to allegations of sexual harassment and other questionable behavior by executives and on-air talent.

View In Gallery