A big bombshell hit the news sphere on Monday when top show hosts, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and recently fired Ed Henry, were slapped with a sexual misconduct lawsuit.
Fox Comes Under Fire
A former Fox Business producer is at the center of accusing former Fox News correspondent Ed Henry of raping her while they both were employed at the news network. In the lawsuit, it claims that Henry “performed sadistic acts on her without her consent that left her injured, bruised and battered with bloody wrists” while she was handcuffed, according to CBS News.
Another plaintiff, Cathy Areu in the same lawsuit, brought allegations of harassment against popular Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Howard Kurtz.
“It is widely documented in the public record that Fox News has not only cultivated and fostered sexual harassment and misconduct but has consistently accepted and rewarded it,” says a sex trafficking, sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit from former Fox Business Network associate producer Jennifer Eckhart and previous FNC guest Cathy Areu filed.
The details of the lawsuit include allegations that Henry tried to “groom” the then producer, Jennifer Eckhart. This was in 2014 when Henry was Fox News’ chief White House correspondent and was married. She also says he attempted to “coerce” her into a sexual relationship with him.
Eckhart claims she dismissed his advances, which is when he supposedly, according to the lawsuit, “sexually assaulted her on office property, and raped her at a hotel where Fox News frequently lodged its visiting employees.”
“My decision to speak out was not an easy one, but I refuse to let fear of retaliation, victim shaming and further attacks intimidate me into remaining silent. I am hopeful that my decision to file this action will result in positive change for women at Fox, and for all victims in the workplace,” Eckhart posted on Instagram Monday.
The Lawsuit Targets Top Hosts
Allegations don’t stop at Henry, hosts Hannity and Tucker have come under fire for years over their conservative beliefs, but now they are facing controversy for different reasons.
They are trying to “Kavanaugh” Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity.
— samanthamarika (@samanthamarika1) July 21, 2020
According to Areu’s allegations, Hannity allegedly put $100 on a desk in 2018 and “began calling out to the men in the room and demanding that someone take Ms. Areu out on a date.”
She also claims that Carlson told her he would be at a hotel “without any wife or kids.”
“Without question, Mr. Carlson was probing to see whether Ms. Areu was interested in a sexual relationship,” the lawsuit alleges. “Ms. Areu awkwardly sidestepped Mr. Carlson’s advances and declined to spend the night at his hotel.”
Fox Ademently Denies Lawsuit Claims
Do these claims hold weight?
I just realized that part of allegation against Tucker Carlson is that he took off his jacket in front of a woman, who apparently was so traumatized that now she needs millions of dollars to heal her wounds. This is the most frivolous harassment claim I've ever seen in my life.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 21, 2020
According to Fox News, it states adamantly that the plaintiffs’ claims are inaccurate.
Fox issued this statement:
Based on the findings of a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm, including interviews with numerous eyewitnesses, we have determined that all of Cathy Areu’s claims against FOX News, including its management as well as its hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity & Howard Kurtz and its contributor Gianno Caldwell, are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit. We take all claims of harassment, misconduct and retaliation seriously, promptly investigating them and taking immediate action as needed — in this case, the appropriate action based on our investigation is to defend vigorously against these baseless allegations. Ms. Areu and Jennifer Eckhart can pursue their claims against Ed Henry directly with him, as FOX News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckhart’s claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network.
The false accusations come from a democrat mortified by the truth coming from Tucker Carlson. Sean Hannity and the producers. Demonrats are everywhere!
Another KommieKrat Bull×××t claim to bring down good people
Another lying snake. The DC swamp is full of these cu4ts. Getting so bad that I refuse to have a single woman work for me. They can not be trusted. Almost never tell the truth. Always lying and skimming to get ahead.
Timing is amazing. It’s BS. Why wait? – ohhh, I was afraid. ??so now they come forward. Too convenient.
Oh, somebody getting paid to get Tucker and Hannity cancelled because their shows are out beating the other channels. They figured the accusation against Henry worked so now they are using sex accusations to get the two popular shows off the air. Who are they going to go after next, Laurah since she isn’t married and therefore she likes women. These women should have made their charges when they happened but apparently if true there wasn’t enough money in making their charges. There’s an old saying. Follow the money, where’s the real money. Ever notice when these democrats want to get rid of somebody suddenly there’s enough money showing up in bank accounts to pay for sexual charges. Look at Kavanaugh, how much money that lier got from “somewhere” and yet nothing came out of bringing chargers against her for testifying with lies.
Yep, it’s that time of year — elections are imminent. Same O, same O — it’s time for the Justice Kavanaugh hearings all over. It’s too bad there is NO reciprocal Justice — these “shills” can accuse anybody of anything and NEVER face a penalty for lying. To quote Mazie, if the girls accuse them, they MUST be guilty — off with their heads !!
complete utter BS, DEMS are satanic.
Please. Cathy Areu is a Liberal antagonist. Nothing more. I can’t even fathom either Sean or Tucker EVER wanting to be in the same room with her one second more than they HAD to be.
Of course, even though this is a blatant [FALSE] accusation, because it’s against a Conservative, Liberals will cry “All women have to be believed” yet in the next breath they will deny or excuse any sexual allegation made against a Democrat.
Areu is a disgrace to women both Liberal and Conservative. Losers like her are the reason REAL victims hesitate to come forward. Fox should fire this liar for dragging innocent people through the mud.
P.S. Areu probably has a secret vendetta against Sean and Tucker for one reason or another.
The left is so desperate to get rid of FOX altogether, going after two of their highest rating show hosts is pure fallacy. These two women must have had a powow with Blasey Ford on how to concoct a story trying to Kavanaugh Tucker and Hannity. Look what NYT’s did recently to Tucker trying to dox him with a stupid story about where he lives, shameful basterds. Progressives are truly evil.
If Carlson and Hannity want all these accusations to go away immediately and never to be heard from again….all they have to do is become buddies with “Sleazy Joe Biden” and the women will be accused of being “trailer trash” and “gold diggers”….They need to check and see if the accusers have had a sudden increase in their bank accounts from a Soros organization.
Everyone knows that Areu was a wacko. Not sure who it was at Fox that ever allowed her before the cameras but she would deliver odd opinions and notions that really made listeners wonder what planet she came from. These law suits certainly sound as if the Democrats are using their talent again to cause chaos in the arena. None of this crap is true.