Britt McHenry, a host on Fox News’s streaming service Fox Nation, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the network and her former co-host.
In her Tuesday filing, McHenry, 33, accused Fox News Channel and on-air personality George “Tyrus” Murdoch, 46, of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation. The lawsuit also names Fox Nation and Fox Executive Producer Jennifer Rauchet, Executive Vice President of Development John Finley, Senior Vice President of Human Resources Monica Mekeel, and others as defendants.
According to her, Tyrus displayed “volatile and unpredictable behavior” at work and sent her sexually explicit text messages beginning in October 2018. She also alleged that he sexually harassed her in person and that the network retaliated against her after she brought her accusations to light by refusing to book her on Fox News programs, “shunning her,” and “shutting her out of company events.”
McHenry, who still hosts the Fox Nation show UN-PC, further claimed an HR employee for the network insinuated that she may have done something to “provoke her harasser” when she came forward with her allegations and is seeking monetary damages. Tyrus, who used to host the show alongside her, was booted off the program following her complaints about him but was given his own show NUFFSAID.
Her lawsuit follows a complaint she filed with New York State’s Division of Human Rights last month after Fox News conducted a second investigation into the matter and followed the recommendations it received based on the “factual findings” of the investigations.
In a tweet, McHenry said she is “standing up for [herself], for women and for what’s right.”
“I have maintained the same allegations because the truth doesn’t change,” she wrote. “I feel for any sexual harassment victim who has their story and evidence dismissed, doubted and not believed.”
I am standing up for myself, for women and for what’s right. I have maintained the same allegations because the truth doesn’t change. I feel for any sexual harassment victim who has their story and evidence dismissed, doubted and not believed.
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) December 10, 2019
“Ms. McHenry’s lawsuit recycles the same allegations she filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights in October, to which we filed a response on Friday,” a Fox News representative said in response to the Tuesday lawsuit. “As we have previously stated, Ms. McHenry’s allegations have been fully investigated and we are confident our actions will be deemed entirely appropriate in litigation. We expect all of her claims to be dismissed.”
