21st Century Fox Boss James Murdoch on Bill O'Reilly $32 Million Settlement: 'News to Me'

21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch said Wednesday he didn’t the amount of Bill O’Reilly’s massive $32 million settlement for sexual harassment when the company renewed the host’s contract earlier this year.

“It was news to me when we saw that number the other day,” Murdoch said at the Paley Center for Media International Council Summit in New York.

James Murdoch says Bill O’Reilly’s $32 million sexual harassment settlement “was news to me” when the NYT story came out. #PaleyIC

— Jason Lynch 🇺🇦 (@jasonlynch) October 25, 2017

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The New York Times reported last weekend O’Reilly had paid off a former coworker, Lis Wiehl, in January — one month before he inked a fresh $25 million-a-year with 21st Century Fox to stay at Fox News. Wiehl had accused O’Reilly of repeatedly harassing her, forcing her into a “nonconsensual sexual relationship,” and sending sexually explicit material.

Murdoch pointed out the settlement was paid by O’Reilly, not Fox, saying “the settlement wasn’t a company settlement.” Fox knew O’Reilly had settled the claim before signing him to the new deal, but didn’t know details of the payout, according to Murdoch.

He then talked about managing the company at large, saying it’s difficult to monitor the behavior of everyone under the Fox banner.

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“I can’t make sure that everyone in the business doesn’t behave badly at times,” said Murdoch. “But what I can make sure is if we know something, we can react to that information. We can be decisive about it, as we were with Roger Ailes, as we were with Bill O’Reilly.”

O’Reilly was ultimately booted from Fox News in April, after a damning New York Times report said the cable star and network had paid at least $13 million to five women to settle sexual harassment claims.

The Scene at TheGrill 2017: TheWrap's Media Leadership Conference

Co-Chairmen and CEO's of Fox Television Group Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and John Singleton.
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TheWrap's annual TheGrill media conference took place at the Montage Beverly Hills on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.
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TheWrap's CEO and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman greets attendees at the 8th annual TheGrill conference.
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Audience members listen to panels on the first day of TheGrill.
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Sky Moore, partner at Greenberg Glusker, Cindy Lin, CEO of Infotainment China, and President of DMG Entertainment, Chris Fenton at TheWrap's annual TheGrill conference.
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David Grinberg, partner at Sidley Austin LLP, speaks onstage at TheWrap's 8th Annual TheGrill.
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Stanley Rosen, professor of political science at USC, speaks with Sharon Waxman on stage.
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Catherine Zhang of Youku Tudou and Colin Brady of CAA discuss streaming in China with TheWrap's Matt Pressberg.
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Vicki Beck and Jan Pinkava speak with Sharon Waxman on stage.
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The Montage in Beverly Hills.
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Attendees gather around the lunch buffet at TheGrill on Monday.
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Stanley Rosen, Matt Pressberg and Cindy Lin at TheGrill.
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Ted Schilowitz of Paramount Pictures speaks at TheGrill.
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Attendees gather at The Montage for TheWrap's annual TheGrill conference.
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Sharon Waxman with Albie Hecht.
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Sharon Waxman with speakers at TheGrill.
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Kathleen Grace and Robert Goldberg speak on a panel during TheGrill.
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Audience members of TheGrill conference converse during a break.
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Virtual Reality panel at TheGrill.
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Managing director and media and technology analyst at BTIG Rich Greenfield discusses the future of media with Sharon Waxman.
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Gary Newman and Dana Walden speak with Sharon Waxman on stage.
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Michael Bloom, Robert Goldberg, Kathleen Grace, Alec Shankman and Chris M. Williams speak about multimedia platforms at TheGrill.
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ILMxLAB's Vicki Beck and Google Spotlight Stories' Jan Pinkava talk about VR at TheGrill.
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Director John Singleton before his panel at the end of TheGrill's first day.
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Audience members talk during a break at TheGrill.
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Director of International Content Cooperation of Youku Tudou Inc., Catherine Zhang, attends TheGrill.
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Founding Partner of MacInnes Scott, John MacInnes, attends TheWrap's media conference on Monday.
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UCLA's Elizabeth Joye Buda and Kate Pierce attend TheWrap's TheGrill.
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The audience watches a panel at TheWrap's media and technology conference, TheGrill.
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TheWrap's film reporter Matt Pressberg on a panel with Co-Founder and EVP of WEVR, Anthony Batt, Founding Partner of MacInnes Scott, John MacInnes and Paramount Pictures' Ted Schilowitz.
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TheWrap's Tim Molloy speaks with "Boyz N The Hood" director John Singleton
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Cocktail party on the terrace of The Montage in Beverly Hills
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Sharon Waxman and TheWrap team
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Invar CEO Elizabeth Koshi, John Singleton, and ICM's Crystal Mais at TheGrill
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Raymond Reed and Sabrina Taylor
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Attendees at TheGrill cocktail party.
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Weather Channel's Dave Shull discusses climate change with Sharon Waxman.
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Producers Nina Jacobson and Darren Throop with Sharon Waxman
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Adi Sideman at TheGrill
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Tobias Quesser at TheGrill
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Franklin Leonard discusses diversity at TheGrill
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M and A panel at TheGrill
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Paramount distribution head Megan Colligan and Lionsgate Marketing SVP Thai Randolph
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TheGrill's Innovators Panel
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TheGrill's Innovators Panel
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DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and Sharon Waxman
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mitu President Beatriz Acevado
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