Out Foxed

Roger Ailes Steps Down at Fox News

The embattled Fox News king resigned from his throne, effective immediately.
Image may contain Roger Ailes Tie Accessories Accessory Suit Coat Clothing Overcoat Apparel Human Person and Face
© ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

After weeks of speculation about his tenure with the network he built, Roger Ailes resigned from Fox News on Thursday in the wake of sexual-harassment allegations from some of the network’s former and current stars.

21st Century Fox released a statement announcing Ailes’s departure, saying that Rupert Murdoch will replace him as chairman and acting C.E.O. of both Fox News and Fox Business.

“Roger Ailes has made a remarkable contribution to our company and our country,” Murdoch said in the statement. “Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organization and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years.”

Representatives for Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The news comes two weeks after longtime Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed suit against the executive, claiming he sexually harassed her and fired her from the network in retaliation for her denying his advances. In the weeks since, several women have come forward and claimed to have been harassed by Ailes.

Ailes denied the harassment allegations, and claimed that Carlson was fired for poor ratings. 21st Century Fox had said it was conducting an internal investigation of the allegations, and reportedly hired the law firm Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrisonto to interview past and current employees about his conduct.

The heat turned up a notch earlier this week, when New York magazine reported that Megyn Kelly had told lawyers that Ailes had sexually harassed her 10 years ago, and that she was prepared to make these statements outside of the investigation. This led to a flurry of media outlets reporting that Ailes had been ousted on Tuesday—a rumor that 21st Century Fox quickly quashed. News about his exit negotiations steadily trickled out throughout the rest of the week—deliberations that now seem to have concluded.

Also on Thursday, the Drudge Report published what it presented as a letter from Ailes to Murdoch. The Hive has not independently verified the authenticity of the letter.

An attorney for Carlson said in a statement: “Within 2 weeks of her filing a lawsuit against Roger Ailes, Gretchen Carlson's extraordinary courage has caused a seismic shift in the media world. We hope that all businesses now understand that women will no longer tolerate sexual harassment and reputable companies will no longer shield those who abuse women. We thank all the brave women who spoke out about this issue.”