In the recent New Yorker article, “The Secret History of Kimberly Guilfoyle’s Departure from Fox,” reporter Jane Mayer uncovered that Fox News agreed to an over $4 million settlement with Guilfoyle’s former assistant, who asked news outlets to respect her privacy by not sharing her name.
Building off an earlier article by journalist Yashar Ali, Mayer elaborated on the sexual harassment allegations made by Guilfoyle’s former assistant. The allegations were sent to Fox executives in a confidential 42-page draft, which included descriptions of multiple accounts of sexual harassment by Guilfoyle.
The complaint described occasions in which Guilfoyle’s assistant was forced to work at Guilfoyle’s apartment in New York, where Guilfoyle would display her naked body and at times even ask her assistant to critique her naked appearance. The document also included encounters when the former host showed her assistant pictures of male genitalia from past sexual partners, as well as experiences where she was subject to Guilfoyle’s often vulgar descriptions of her personal sex life.
These events are likely what caused Fox News’ dismissal of Guilfoyle in July of 2018. Now, Guilfoyle joins a list of others in Fox News history who have been accused of sexual misconduct. Former CEO Roger Ailes was accused by Gretchen Carlson in 2016 of repeated instances of harassment and Bill O’Reilly, a former Fox News host, was accused by past Fox News personality, Juliet Huddy, and other colleagues of abuse and harassment as well.
Following the allegations made by Carlson in 2016, Fox News hired law firm Paul, Weiss to investigate possible sexual misconduct within the workplace. Soon, lawyers began to question a close associate of Guilfoyle’s, Eric Bolling. Bolling was a regular on Guilfoyle’s program, “The Five,” and also worked with Guilfoyle’s assistant.
Guilfoyle’s assistant shared that as lawyers dived deeper into Bolling’s work at Fox News, Guilfoyle questioned her about whether or not she would speak about the sexual harassment, and even alluded to possible payments made to her by herself and Bolling. Additionally, the assistant recounted that she was offered other incentives to keep silent, including plane rides, reporting opportunities and more.
In the midst of these allegations, Kimberly Guilfoyle began to work as a finance chair for President Trump’s re-election campaign shortly after her dismissal from Fox News. Guilfoyle is currently dating Donald Trump Jr. and continues to speak on behalf of President Trump, even taking on a speaking role at the Republican National Convention.
Photo licensed under Creative Commons 2.0. Courtesy of Gage Skidmore.