UPDATE: Three former Fox employees who settled lawsuits against the network alleging either sexual harassment or gender discrimination — Gretchen Carlson, Julie Roginsky, and Diana Falzone — issued a firm response to the Washington Examiner.
Fox News prime-time host Sean Hannity urged his disgraced former colleague Bill O’Reilly to return to the network despite the multitude of sexual harassment allegations that prompted his exit.
O’Reilly, 70, appeared on Hannity’s radio show, which is not a Fox property, on Tuesday, and teased his interview with President Trump, which aired on his show later in the day. The former Fox host was discussing the amount of hate he thinks the president receives and then commented, “You and I, we can identify because we’ve been attacked for more than 20 years, each of us has.”
“Twenty four to be exact,” Hannity corrected. “By the way, I keep offering you, go back on Fox, and … ”
“Yeah, and why do I want to do that?” O’Reilly interjected. “So I can have security guards go with me everywhere like I used to?”
“No, so that you take the number one slot,” Hannity replied. “I can tell you it’s easier being number two because we’ll end the — we’ll end the year again number one in all of cable, and with that comes all the crap associated with it.”
“You bet,” O’Reilly retorted. “But your listeners should understand there is a price to pay for being a traditional conservative American in this country.”
O’Reilly was booted from the network in April 2017 after numerous sexual harassment lawsuits were revealed. The January before, Fox agreed to pay a long-time network analyst $32 million to settle sexual harassment allegations. This was the sixth such agreement. A month following that settlement, the network agreed to a new four-year contract that paid $25 million a year.
A number of former Fox News female employees attacked Hannity’s plea. Diana Falzone, who settled a discrimination lawsuit with the network, tweeted, “How about you @seanhannity urge @foxnews to rehire the women he allegedly sexually harassed?” She also tagged other women who faced unwanted advances at the network.
How about you @seanhannity urge @foxnews to rehire the women he allegedly sexually harassed? #metoo #media @Mediaite @GretchenCarlson @julieroginsky @tamaraholder #ndas pic.twitter.com/XoTosAvSey
— dianafalzone (@dianafalzone) November 27, 2019
Gretchen Carlson, who came forward with allegations against Roger Ailes, added, “Let’s be clear — @BillOReilly should get his job back after millions to women he harassed @foxnews — And u — @seanhannity see nothing wrong w/ that? Thx for polluting our country with your bs.”
Let’s be clear — @BillOReilly should get his job back after millions to women he harassed @foxnews — And u — @seanhannity see nothing wrong w/ that? Thx for polluting our country with your bs. @TIMESUPNOW #metoo #befierce @julieroginsky @dianafalzone https://t.co/T9fEhRshym
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) November 27, 2019
Hannity has previously brought up the idea of O’Reilly returning to the network. In July, he recounted a conversation he had with O’Reilly on-air during the hand-off from his show to The Ingraham Angle.
“I said, ‘Why don’t you come back to cable? I’ll let you be number one again because then I’ll take a lot less crap,’” Hannity said to Laura Ingraham.
O’Reilly, who has appeared on Hannity’s radio show a number of times since his departure from Fox News, recently started his own syndicated daily radio show called The O’Reilly Update.
