According to New York Magazine, Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the time slot at Fox News that he has occupied for 21 years, since the beginning of FNC. The allegations of Sexual Harassment and the $13 million in settlements that make those accusations seem credible were too much. While O’Reilly maintains good ratings with the viewers, advertisers have been abandoning “The O’Reilly Factor” like a sinking ship. After the Roger Ailes fiasco, Fox News just cannot afford to brazen it out with another older, male employee accused of being boorish and worse to young females.
O’Reilly is currently on vacation in Italy and the Vatican. The two things that are under discussion are the size of his exit payment and whether he will be allowed one last on-air appearance to say goodbye to his fans. The former is likely to be substantial, mainly because FNC has recently renewed O’Reilly’s contract, perhaps unwisely considering the scandal. The last is unlikely. Who knows what O’Reilly might say, with little or nothing to lose?
O’Reilly is conducting a separate legal war with his former wife, Maureen McPhilmy, with whom he divorced in 2011. He had won a $14 million judgment against her for making “false representations” during the settlement that included accusations of infidelity and abuse.
O’Reilly is currently fighting to keep the details of those allegations secret and out of the media.
O’Reilly has maintained that the sexual harassment claims are baseless and he only agreed to the settlements to avoid a messy, public trial to spare embarrassment to himself and his family. One of O’Reilly’s lawyers is quoted as claiming that the allegations are being orchestrated by a shadowy far-left organization meant to drive the long time Fox host from the airwaves.
What is the truth? The stories about trading sex for favors and then retaliation when such are rebuffed are troubling. It could be that O’Reilly is as pure as new driven snow and that he is truthful. If so he has the choice of fighting it out in the courts for his job and honor or else slinking away with a big enough payoff.
The other possibility that O’Reilly’s well-known acerbic personality has led to statements made lightly that can be open to interpretation. In such a case, the Fox host can say all he wants that he is being treated unfairly. But he has set a personal example of strict, moral turpitude, such as in his most recently published book “Old School: Life in the Sane Lane.” Perhaps the lesson is that when one is a high profile male celebrity propriety and courtesy toward females in all things should be the order of the day. And also, never dine or otherwise be alone with a woman, not one's wife, to take an example from Vice President Mike Pence.
