Fox News has revealed that the network launched a second investigation into claims that Fox Nation host Tyrus sexually harassed his former co-host Britt McHenry.
Back in June, McHenry alleged that Tyrus sent her unwanted and unsolicited text messages with lewd, sexual comments and offered to send her explicit photos. An investigation was conducted at the time, and he was forced to leave the show they co-hosted, Un-PC. However, he was then given his own show, NUFFSAID.
McHenry’s lawyer, Lisa Bloom, filed a sexual harassment complaint with New York State’s Division of Human Rights, and Fox News revealed the new investigation in its response.
“As we previously said, this matter was immediately and thoroughly investigated by an outside law firm charged with providing independent factual findings and recommendations for action based on the evidence,” the network said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter replying to the lawsuit.
“All protocols were followed; the recommendations we received were appropriate and promptly implemented. Since then, we voluntarily engaged a second outside investigator to look at any additional evidence presented, and to review the first investigator’s findings/recommendations in light of any evidence. Again, all protocols were followed and the second set of recommendations fully affirmed the first set,” it went on.
On Friday, Bloom tweeted that she is “proud to represent” McHenry and accused Fox of making “false public statements [that] omit important facts.”
Proud to represent Britt McHenry as we litigate her sexual harassment claims against Fox News. Fox’s false public statement omits important facts. We demand that Fox release Britt to respond with the truth.The era of silencing victims must come to an end. https://t.co/2wv5yO7Li2
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) November 1, 2019
The news of McHenry’s lawsuit comes days after a number of former Fox News female employees demanded the network release them from the nondisclosure agreements they signed. Gretchen Carlson, who left the network in 2016 after suing then-chairman Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, was one of the women who spoke out against the NDAs. On Thursday, she also spoke out in support of McHenry.
“Nothing wrong with lewd text messages to an innocent woman where someone offers her d*** pics and you try to say 2 independent investigations found nothing & u are transformed?” Carlson tweeted. “And you give him his own show? That’s so screwed up and you know it.”
Nothing wrong with lewd text messages to an innocent woman where someone offers her d*** pics and you try to say 2 independent investigations found nothing & u are transformed? And you give him his own show?That’s so screwed up and you know it @foxnews https://t.co/zaLc9P7VMN
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) November 1, 2019
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, a network representative said, “This matter has been fully investigated independently by two outside investigators who have exhausted every resource and avenue in doing so. We stand by our processes and the conclusions of those impartial reviews. We recognize Britt’s right to tell her side of the story and will defend in litigation our actions, which have been evidence-based and wholly appropriate.”
