KTLA Anchor Courtney Friel Taken Off Air After Accusing Trump of Sexually Harassing Her in New Book

A high-profile weekend anchor at KTLA was notably absent from the air Saturday and Sunday after the New York Daily News featured an excerpt from her new book that claims that prior to becoming the president, Donald Trump once propositioned her.

Former Fox News reporter Courtney Friel was scheduled for a vacation around her book tour beginning Monday, her publicist told TheWrap, but she did not appear for any of her regular weekend shifts on Saturday or Sunday.

Her camp isn’t responding beyond its initial statement, but according to the Daily Beast, Friel told a paparazzo on Saturday that he would need to ask KTLA about her absence from the air that day, then expressed her desire not to be fired.

“I love my job,” she said, according to the Daily Beast.

Also Read: People Mag Reporter Says Donald Trump 'Physically Attacked' Her Around Time of Billy Bush Interview

KTLA did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

The Daily News published excerpts from Friel’s new memoir “Tonight at 10: Kicking Booze and Breaking News” detailing a provocative conversation she had with Trump while she was working for Fox News. Friel said Trump called her and told her she was “the hottest one at Fox News,” then, “out of nowhere,” suggested she come to his office so they could “kiss.”

She added, according to the Daily News, that she hung up after reminding him they were both married. At the time, the real estate mogul and reality TV star was married to his current wife, Melania Trump. (A reporter for People magazine has also claimed Trump came onto her while he was married to the now-first lady, a charge he has denied.)

According to the Daily News, Friel writes in her memoir, “This proposition made it difficult for me to report with a straight face on Trump running for president. It infuriated me that he would call all the women who shared stories of his bold advances liars. I totally believe them.”

11 Women Who Accuse Donald Trump of Sleaziness - or Much Worse (Photos)

Several women have accused Donald Trump of lewd behavior since the Washington Post reported that he bragged to Billy Bush on a hot mic in 2005 that he kisses and gropes women. Trump has called the comments "locker room talk" and denied assaulting women.
Getty Images
1997 Miss Utah Temple Taggart told NBC News that Trump kissed her on the lips upon their first meeting. Trump denies it.

Also Read: How Many Times Did Donald Trump Sniffle During Second Debate?
NBC
Former Miss Vermont Teen USA Mariah Billado told BuzzFeed that Trump walked in on her changing. “I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, ‘Oh my god, there’s a man in here,'” she said. Trump bragged to Howard Stern that as a pageant owner, he can "sort of get away" with walking in on women: "You know, I'm inspecting because I want to make sure that everything is good."

Also Read: Former Miss Teen USA Contestants Say Donald Trump Walked in on Them Changing
ABC
Jill Harth sued Trump in 1997, alleging sexual harassment. The suit says that while negotiating a business deal, Trump told Harth’s boyfriend, “You know, there’s going to be a problem … I’m very attracted to your girlfriend.”

Harth withdrew her suit as part of a settlement, according to the New York Times.

Also Read: 2 Women Accuse Donald Trump of Groping Them: ‘It Was an Assault’
Inside Edition
Former Miss Arizona Tasha Dixon told CBS2 Los Angeles that Trump would go backstage at the Miss USA pageant while the contestants were changing clothes.

“He just came strolling right in,” Dixon said. “There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.”

Also Read: Former Miss Arizona Says Donald Trump Walked in on ‘Naked’ Pageant Contestants
ABC
In the taped conversation with Billy Bush, Trump talked about how he "moved on" the married Nancy O’Dell "very heavily," and admitted that he tried to "f--- her." O'Dell responded: "No female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments."

Also Read: Billy Bush Hires Crisis Communications Firm Goldin Solutions in Wake of Trump Video Scandal
Inside Edition
On the tape, Billy Bush encourages Arianna Zucker to embrace Trump after Trump has told Bush that he might start kissing her -- unbeknownst to Zucker. When the tape was released, she said she wasn't especially surprised -- "not with that type of personality."

Also Read: Billy Bush Ripped by Hollywood PR Veterans as a ‘Rude and Lewd’ Jerk
NBC
Jessica Leeds told the New York Times that Trump groped her on a plane more than 30 years ago. “He was like an octopus,” Leeds, now 74, told the paper. “His hands were everywhere."

Also Read: Trump Campaign Demands NY Times Retracts Story In Which 2 Women Claim He Groped Them
ABC
Kristin Anderson told the The Washington Post that she was sitting on a couch with friends at a New York City nightclub in the early ’90s when she suddenly felt someone’s hand reaching up her skirt and touching her through her underwear. After shoving the hand away, she fled the couch and turned to take her first good look at the man who had touched her: It was Trump.

Also Read: Another Woman Claims Donald Trump Groped Her (Video)
Rachel Crooks, 33, said she was working as a receptionist at a company housed in Trump Tower in 2005 when she met Trump -- who allegedly shook her hand, would not let go, and “kissed me directly on the mouth.”

Also Read: 2 Women Accuse Donald Trump of Groping Them: ‘It Was an Assault’
Getty Images
The Trump campaign is demanding that the New York Times retract its story detailing the allegations from Leeds and Crooks.

Also Read: Trump Campaign Demands NY Times Retracts Story In Which 2 Women Claim He Groped Them
Getty
People Magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff says Donald Trump physically attacked her around the time of his comments to Billy Bush in 2005, and that he forced himself on her in the same way he described in that conversation. His campaign denies it ever happened.

Also Read: Reporter Says Donald Trump ‘Physically Attacked’ Her Around Time of Billy Bush Interview
Getty Images
Former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos claimed Trump kissed her against her will and came on to her. Zervos recounted a an alleged encounter with Trump at the Beverly Hills Hotel, during which she said Trump kissed her “very aggressively,” placed his hand on her breast and thrust his genitals.

Also Read: Top 21 Cable News Shows, Ranked: What are the Most Popular CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Programs? (Photos)
Getty Images

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Allegations range from kissing strangers to walking in on naked pageant contestants

Several women have accused Donald Trump of lewd behavior since the Washington Post reported that he bragged to Billy Bush on a hot mic in 2005 that he kisses and gropes women. Trump has called the comments "locker room talk" and denied assaulting women.

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11 Women Who Accuse Donald Trump of Sleaziness - or Much Worse (Photos)

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