"But we have lived this fight long enough to know that the new variants are real and worrisome," Riney added. Areu alleges that Hannity retaliated against her after an incident where he offered $100 for any male staffer who would go out on a date with her, with the lawsuit including a picture of the bill on Hannitys desk. The lawsuit additionally accused Fox News of willfully downplaying the severity of the allegations against Henry in order to protect the networks reputation. After she refused, Kurtz "punished" her by thereafter limiting her appearances on his show, according to the complaint. The lawsuit further alleged that Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell repeatedly pressed Areu to date him, using the possibility of an introduction to his friend Ann Coulter as a lure. Fox has since moved to distance itself from the alleged culture under Ailes. Vaccine hesitancy is surging again, regardless of the science, George Santos gets two committee assignments, The eight Senate seats most likely to flip in 2024, Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The claims against CNN's Stelter andCamerota stem from their on-air conversation during a July2020episode of CNN's "New Day" during which the two discussed Henry having a history of misconduct. Areu said she was also propositioned by Gianno Caldwell, a Fox contributor. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. "We remain confident that vaccination is the most powerful tool we all have against the COVID-19 pandemic," the statement read. Regarding Henry was released in 1991, but the couple didn't see it until renting the videotape in March 1992. Since coming on board as CEO in 2018, Suzanne Scott has worked to create a different atmosphere, an acknowledgement that the factors behind Ailes ouster had negative effects on employees. The lawsuit also claims sexual advances by Carlson, Kurtz and Caldwell that Areu spurned, which the suit alleges led the hosts to cut down on her appearances on their shows. Ailes, who died in 2017, denied all charges made against him, including those of Gretchen Carlson, an anchor whose 2016 suit against him sparked a wholesale reckoning at Fox News and its parent company. Fox News fined $1 million in New York City settlement of sexual harassment allegations, Bill Cosby released from prison after sex assault conviction overturned by Pa. Supreme Court, James Franco agrees to pay $2.2M to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit filed by former students, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. (AP) _ A couple filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming the movie Regarding Henry, about a man suffering from amnesia, is based on their own life story. The suit also alleges Henry sent other inappropriate texts, including messages suggesting Areu have sex with him. When u r owned, you dont get a choice, he wrote on another occasion. "Mr. Kurtz was punishing Ms. Areu for refusing to join him at hishotel. The suit also alleges he asked her to be his sex slave and his little whore and threatened punishment and retaliation if she did not comply with his sexual demands. The video depicted Ms. Coulter being swarmed by media. There were not sexual harassment claims against Ed Henry at Fox News prior to Jennifer Eckharts claim on June 25, 2020, the network added in its statement. The lawsuit asserts Fox executives knew that Henry had been accused of sexual misconduct long before June 25. hide caption. The lawsuit alleges Hannity threw $100 on the desk during a taping of his show on March 8, 2018, and called out to the room demanding someone take Areu on a date and for drinks. The complaint filed on Monday graphically presents multiple allegations of sexual abuse suffered by Jennifer Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox Business, who said that Henry suggested he could help advance her career in exchange for sex. Ms. Areu has only appeared approximately three times on 'Media Buzz' following her rejection of Mr. Kurtzs advances," the lawsuit says. Good long session last time, he wrote just after 10 a.m. in another series of texts. Areu alleges in the complaint that Henry sent her "a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages" including photographs and video. The lawsuit says Areu, who was also a frequent guest on Kurtz's "Media Buzz" show, believes Kurtz tried to get her to join him in a hotel room in January 2019, at a time when she reached out to him seeking a full-time job at Fox. Eckharts lawyers also provided in the complaint a series of text messages in which Henry referred to their relationship in graphic terms. The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. This is not one of those cases, said Catherine Foti, an attorney for Henry. Russia is planning a major offensive. Based on the findings of a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm, including interviews with numerous eyewitnesses, we have determined that all of Cathy Areus claims against FOX News, including its management as well as its hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity & Howard Kurtz and its contributor Gianno Caldwell, are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit, Fox News said in a statement. Mr. Caldwell wrote, Ann is my friend. Mr. Caldwell, who knew that Ms. Areu would have loved the opportunity to meet and work with Ms. Coulter, used this fact to attempt to coerce Ms. Areu into dating him. Immediately after Henry sent Areu the video he texted her, Are you avail for anchor interview, the lawsuit alleges. In acomplaintfiled Thursday in the U.S District Court in New York, Henry is seeking actual and punitive damages from NPR correspondentDavid Folkenflik and CNN correspondents Alisyn Camerota and Brian Stelterfor acting with"malice" by "intentionally or recklessly making false statements" about himwhile reporting on his Fox News departure. Read Next: Amanda Bynes to Join All That Cast Reunion in First Public Appearance Since Conservatorship Ended: Im Really Excited, AMC Networks Plans In-Person Upfront Session for Advertisers, Craig Ferguson, Sony Hope to Chart Late-Night Return With Syndicated Channel Surf, CNN Considering Content Contributions From Bill Maher, Warner Bros. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York by the Wigdor LLC law firm, which has represented several Fox News staffers in the past in complaints that alleged sexual or racial discrimination at the company. Editor's note: This report includes graphic descriptions of sexual assault accusations. Heres what that might look like. Meanwhile, journalist Cathy Areu, who had been a frequent on-air guest on Fox News programsoften labeled by Carlson as The Liberal Sherpa for her ability to explain obscure, often lazily stereotyped left-wing beliefs to his viewershipalleged in the lawsuit that in early 2020,Henry sent her a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messageswhich are in her possession.. None of the men have been mentioned before in any misconduct allegations at Fox until the charges were made by Cathy Areu. In a statement obtained by The Metro Times, Henry Ford Hospital defended its stance on the vaccine. She had been a relatively regular face on Hannitys show, but was hardly ever invited back to appear after that date, according to the lawsuit. Weeks after Henry's firing in 2020,the former employee who made the complaint that resulted in his oustersued him, alleging rape. In addition to Henrys alleged violent sexual misconduct, the lawsuit also claims sexual harassment by Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Howard Kurtz, and Gianno Caldwell. Fox News grappled with a series of embarrassing and often sordid lawsuits in the wake of the 2016 ouster of Ailes, its former chief executive who was alleged to have harassed several female staffers and other associates over the course of his career in TV. A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges ex-Fox News host Ed Henry raped a woman he had groomed and coerced into having a sexual relationship when she did not comply voluntarily. We def need to get together., The complaint added: Mr. Regarding Henry was released in 1991 but the couple didnt see it until renting the videotape in March 1992. Prominent Fox News commentators Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Howard Kurtz are also named as defendants in the suit and are accused of sexual misconduct. After Ailes depature, Bill OReilly, once the linchpin of Foxs primetime schedule, was pushed out in 2017 after facing allegations of harassment. (AP Photo), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. That evidence includes graphic photos and other aggressively suggestive communications that Ms. Eckhart sent to Mr. Henry.. In a statement, Eckhart said: "My decision to speak out was not an easy one, but I refuse to let fear of retaliation, victim shaming and further attacks intimidate me into remaining silent.". Foti said Henry had received graphic photos and suggestive messages from Eckhart. In a series of messages, Henry states Whatever When u r owned U dont get a Choice, to which Eckhart responded You dont own me., The lawsuit also accused Fox Newss announcement of Henrys firing of being completely disingenuous and of downplaying the severity of the allegations by characterizing Henrys actions as merely sexual misconduct. . The lawsuit also alleges that Henry sent Areu a series of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages throughout the first half of 2020. "Millions of Americans trust NPR to provide accurate information about the world and their communities every day; we take this responsibility very seriously. Being targeted again by Douglas Wigdors law firm, well known for its pursuit of sexual misconduct cases, is an uncomfortable rerun for Fox. More:Bill Cosby released from prison after sex assault conviction overturned by Pa. Supreme Court, More:James Franco agrees to pay $2.2M to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit filed by former students. The MNA stated that although they don't represent the employees at Henry Ford Hospital, they support the vaccine and oppose hospitals enforcing "one-sided policies. Minutes into the film, I was so upset, Mrs. Cox said. In a statement, Areu said: "Like Ms. Eckhart, I too was fearful to come forward. More than 50 Henry Ford Health System employees have sued in federal court, hoping to stop a Sept. 10 coronavirus vaccine mandate. Among the most serious of the allegations, Eckhart says that in 2015, Henry forced her to perform oral sex on him at the Fox News building in New York. Mrs. Cox wrote a manuscript about their experience and sent it to several agents and publishers in the late 1980s, but it was always returned, the lawsuit says. According to the complaint, Henry also sent numerous texts suggesting that she have sex with him. More: Fox News fined $1 million in New York City settlement of sexual harassment allegations Henry's lawsuit against Fox News came a day after the New York City Commission on Human Rights fined Fox News $1 million in a settlement stemming from a sexual harassment investigation, the highest civil penalty in the commission's history. The allegation follows Henry's firing on July 1, which the networks chief executive, Suzanne Scott, and its president, Jay Wallace, emailed employees to say was based on investigative findings after a complaint from a former employees attorney; the suit alleges the network was aware of sexual misconduct by Henry in early 2017, but in a statement to Forbes, Fox News denies there were any claims prior to Eckharts on June 25, 2020. Because that condition is unreasonable, as evidence cannot be suppressed or hidden in this manner in litigation, our investigators were not given access to speak to either plaintiff. Uponinformation and belief, he was not even disciplined," the lawsuit says. The lawsuit claims that the network knew Henry engaged in sexual misconduct as far back as early 2017, when the network conducted a company-wide investigation into issues of sexual harassment and multiple women came forward to complain Henry engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior toward them. The Wigdor Firm declined, informing the investigators that neither plaintiff would be allowed to be interviewed, unless the investigators promised that anything either plaintiff said could not be used in any future litigation or proceeding. USA TODAY has also reached out to CNN for comment. It follows the story of how some of Fox's female personalities, including Carlson and Kelly, set out to expose the network's hostile work environment of sexual harassment and how Ailes allowed it to thrive. The company has said it has made broad cultural changes since Ailes' ouster in 2016, but Wigdor and some former Fox News staffers say it has been slow to root out deeply embedded patterns of sexist behavior and actions. According to the lawsuit, Henry laughed as he took the photographs, and Eckhart pleaded with Mr. Henry to stop, and to remove the handcuffs, and to delete the naked pictures he took of her without her consent. The photographs, the lawsuit suggested, were an intimidation tactic to keep Eckhart silent. ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) The father of an Emory & Henry College student killed in a 2020 car crash filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the college on May 16. Fox News, which in recent years has been hit by numerous accusations of sexual misconduct that forced out founder Roger Ailes and top host Bill O'Reilly, announced on July 1 that it had fired Henry after investigating an accusation of sexual misconduct against him by a former employee. Indeed, right after he sent the video, he wrote, I had no idea you were here [in Florida]. The filing comes ahead of the September 10 White House rips appointment of extreme MAGA members to House Oversight Comer focuses on Penn Biden Center in investigation of classified documents, Here are the 10 states with the least healthy populations. Henryfiled a separate lawsuit the same day against several websites and Twitter handles who shared similar allegations against the former correspondent. Areu awkwardly sidestepped the advances and declined to spend the night at Carlsons hotel. All Rights Reserved. Mr. When he sent the video and the text, Henry was aware Areu was looking for full-time work at Fox News, according to the lawsuit. The results of any such investigation should be made public for the world to see., And Fox News said, in response: The investigators immediately requested in writing the opportunity to speak directly with each plaintiff with their attorneys present, and for the plaintiffs to provide them with any evidence (i.e., texts or emails) supporting their claims. Fox News issued a statement on behalf of Hannity, Carlson and Kurtz, calling the claims in the suit "false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit.". It says that Fox News was notified on June 25 that Eckhart retained legal counsel in connection with allegations of assault and rape against Henry. "We are fully prepared to vigorously defend against these baseless allegations as Mr. Henry further embarrasses himself in a lawsuit rife with inaccuracies after driving his personal life into the ground with countless extramarital affairs in a desperate attempt for relevance and redemption.. She also alleges that in 2017, he handcuffed her as part of "violent, painful rape" in a Manhattan hotel room. Fox News said Areus allegations against others at Fox are false. Ed Henry looks forward to presenting actual facts and evidence, which will contradict the fictional accounts contained in the complaint. This is not one of those cases. The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. In the complaint, filed Monday in New York federal court, former Fox News producer Jennifer Eckhart alleged that Henrythe long-time Fox reporter and host of Americas Newsroom who was fired earlier this month for what the network called willful sexual misconductraped and assaulted her and performed sadistic acts on her without her consent that left her injured, bruised and battered with bloody wrists., What this lawsuit reveals is that todays Fox News is the same old Fox News, said attorney Douglas Wigdor in announcing the lawsuits filing. She declined but invited him to dinner with her and a friend in town, which he declined. Areu, who was also a regular guest on Kurtz's MediaBuzz, alleges that the host tried to get her to come alone to his hotel room on the premise of discussing a full-time job at the network. She compared the movie with her manuscript; the lawsuit claims there are at least 108 similarities. Evansville Couple Claims Regarding Henry is Their Story October 8, 1993 EVANSVILLE, Ind. Ms. Areu and Jennifer Eckhartcan pursue their claims against Ed Henry directly with him, as Fox News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckharts claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network.. The network rejected Henry's argument in a statement to USA TODAY. Fox News Mediapraised Scott's performanceon corporate culture issues in a separate statement. The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. These statistics are according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which is based on alleged reports. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Eckhart, who was 24 at the time, said the 49-year-old Henry restrained her with metal handcuffs, took nude pictures of her and raped her in a hotel room. Earlier, in September 2015, the lawsuit says, Eckhart says Henry forced her to perform oral sex in a guest office on the 17th floor of the Fox News building. Ed was suspended the same day and removed from his on-air responsibilities pending investigation. ", In a statement Foti said: "The Me Too movement has helped to bring to light a number of injustices in our society, and everyone that has suffered deserves to be heard. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Why updating particulate matter standards is critical to protecting health, Minnesota inches toward LGBTQ conversion therapy ban, South Carolina labor leader pushes back on criticism of Biden primary shake-up, Santos accused of taking $3K from GoFundMe for veterans dying dog, Senate Democrat calls for investigation of mass money transfer surveillance, Musk says Biden may try to weaponize government against Twitter if Trump returns, Jon Stewart on Santos: We cannot mistake absurdity for lack of danger, White House calls New Mexico shootings targeting Democratic officials shocking and horrifying, CNN considers prime-time comic host as Gutfeld thrives on Fox, The Views Behar says Biden should admit to hypocrisy over classified docs, Kellyanne Conway in NYT op-ed: A fools errand to write off Trump in 2024. In a statement, Henrys lawyer Catherine M. 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