Former Fox Employee Sues Bill O'Reilly, FNC For Defamation

Bill O'Reilly

A woman who reached a settlement with Bill O’Reilly over harassment allegations sued O’Reilly and Fox News on Monday for defamation and breach of contract, saying that public statements he and the network made violated the settlement and portrayed her as a liar and politically motivated extortionist.

According to The NYTimes, the woman, Rachel Witlieb Bernstein, is one of six known to have reached settlements after making accusations against Mr. O’Reilly. (Her allegations did not include sexual harassment.) None of the others have said anything publicly about their claims, which involved sexual harassment.

O’Reilly has repeatedly said that the harassment allegations that led to his ouster from Fox News in April have no merit, that he never mistreated anyone and that he resolved the matters privately to protect his children.

“In fact, Mr. O’Reilly is the liar,” states the lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. “He mistreated Ms. Bernstein. She was forced out of her job at Fox News and paid a settlement because of his mistreatment.”

Settlements involving harassment allegations often contain strict confidentiality and nondisparagement clauses, which some employment lawyers have said build a culture of silence around these issues and allow misconduct to continue.

Fredric S. Newman, a lawyer for Mr. O’Reilly, said in a statement that Mr. O’Reilly had never mentioned Ms. Bernstein’s name publicly in any context.