Just a week after Bill O'Reilly was fired from Fox News following the fallout of his now infamous Sexual Harassment scandal, another host on the network is in the cross-hairs. Fellow conservative host Sean Hannity is now being accused of similar allegations, but he's not taking it lightly.
Hannity allegations
It was less than a month ago when the New York Times released their bombshell report that uncovered the sexual harassment allegations against Bill O'Reilly. The paper reveals that O'Reilly and Fox News reached a $13 million settlement with at least five female accusers who previously worked for the network in an attempt to keep the news out of the public eye.
After over 50 sponsors pulled their ads from "The O'Reilly Factor," and the Murdoch's proposed deal to purchase Sky TV in Europe was put in jeopardy, Fox News forced the host out and O'Reilly's two-decade tenure with the network came to an end. Within days, Sean Hannity was then accused of sexual harassment by former network guest Debbie Schlussel. In response, Hannity released a statement and responded with a series of tweets on April 24 in his defense.
Furious Sean Hannity loses it in caps-lock rant against accuser: 'I will fight every single lie' https://t.co/9r37tzJYr0 pic.twitter.com/8kSunWX0wz
— Raw Story (@RawStory) April 24, 2017
While speaking to KFAQ radio earlier this week, Debbie Schlussel, who had been a frequent guest on Sean Hannity's show, claimed that the host pressured her to return to his hotel room on more than one occasion.
Schlussel explained that after she turned down Hannity's alleged offer, she wasn't invited back. In response, Hannity released a statement and was defiant in his own defense.
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 24, 2017
"LET ME BE CLEAR," Sean Hannity wrote in all caps, before saying that the allegations made by Debbie Schlussel are "100 percent false," while labeling them a "complete fabrication." "This individual is a serial harasser who has been lying about me for well over a decade," Hannity continued, noting that Schlussel had been targeting him for sometime, and that his "patience with this individual is over."
Already the story changes;https://t.co/0g9aAm6hdl
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 24, 2017
Twitter defense
In addition to his statement, Sean Hannity addressed the issue on his Twitter account, giving a short, but to the point, message in the process.
First the Fox News host posted a direct link to his comments via an article by the right-wing website The Blaze. In addition, Hannity posted a follow-up tweet with a link to an article that put some of the claims made by Debbie Schlussel into question, while adding, "Already the story changes." As of press time, it's unknown whose side of the story is accurate, but it doesn't appear as if Hannity is willing to let this slide, and is looking to be taking steps to avoid becoming the network's next causality.