Fox News Fires Top-Rated Conservative TV Host Bill O'Reilly Hours After Meeting Pope Francis
Top-rated conservative broadcaster Bill O'Reilly was forced out of his decades-long stint as host of one of America's most popular cable news programs when Fox News suddenly gave him the pink slip.
"After a thorough and careful review of the allegations... Bill O'Reilly will not be returning," Fox News said in a one-sentence statement, according to the BBC.
The announcement was made after a series of sexual harassment allegations against O'Reilly and an internal Fox News investigation that turned up even more, the New York Times reported.
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The host of Fox News' top-rated program "The O'Reilly Factor" and the network's management came under intense pressure after The New York Times published an article on April 1 revealing how Fox News and its parent company, 21st Century Fox, had repeatedly backed him up even as he and his employers reached settlements with five women who had complained about his alleged sexual harassment or other inappropriate behavior. The agreements reportedly totaled about $13 million.
The disclosure prompted more than 50 advertisers to leave his show. Women's rights groups also called on Fox News management to fire him.
O'Reilly's dismissal came just a year after Fox News was mired in a sexual harassment scandal that led to the ouster of Roger E. Ailes as chairman of Fox News.
As pressure built up, the Murdoch family, which controls 21st Century Fox, decided to let go of O'Reilly after reviewing the results of an internal investigation that found multiple women had reported inappropriate behavior by O'Reilly, according to the New York Times.
"We did a thorough investigation, a thorough review, and we reached a conclusion. Everything that we said in our statement is all you need to know," James Murdoch, CEO of 21st Century Fox and son of Fox News Network Chairman Rupert Murdoch, told reporters on Wednesday evening.
The news of O'Reilly's dismissal came while he was on a vacation in Italy. On Wednesday morning, he met Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, according to the Daily Mail.
The Pope likely had no idea whose hand he was shaking as he has said in past interviews that he does not watch television.
On Wednesday afternoon, O'Reilly released a statement saying, "It is tremendously disheartening that we part ways due to completely unfounded claims."
Sought for his comment, President Donald Trump defended O'Reilly.
"I think he's a person I know well—he is a good person," Trump told the New York Times on Wednesday from the White House.
"I don't think Bill did anything wrong," Trump said, adding that "he should have taken it all the way" to court.
However, O'Reilly's removal from Fox News was hailed by women's rights activists.
"This is a seismic cultural shift, when a corporation puts a woman's rights above the bottom line," said Wendy Walsh, a former guest on "The O'Reilly Factor," a show that drew nearly four million viewers per night.
"Today, we have entered a new era in workplace politics," she added.
