In lawsuit, Gretchen Carlson alleges sex harassment at Fox
NEW YORK — Former Fox News Channel anchor Gretchen Carlson sued network chief executive Roger Ailes on Wednesday, claiming she was cut loose after she refused his sexual advances and complained about harassment in the workplace.
Ailes, in a statement, denied the allegations and accused Carlson of filing the lawsuit in retaliation for her contract not being renewed.
Carlson, the former host of a daytime show at Fox who had worked at the network for 11 years, was abruptly let go on June 23. Nine months earlier, during a meeting with Ailes she called to address her feelings that she had been discriminated against, she alleged he told her that “you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago.”
Carlson is publicly taking on one of the most powerful men in the media business. Ailes built Fox News Channel from scratch in the 1990s, turning it into the top-rated television news network with a profound influence on politics. Fox is highly profitable for parent company 21st Century Fox.