Fox News Wall | Ajay Suresh | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
On July 20, 2020, Wigdor LLP filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against Fox News Network, LLC (“Fox News”), former Fox News anchor Ed Henry, and current hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Howard Kurtz.
As alleged, on July 1, 2020, three weeks before the Complaint was filed, Fox News disingenuously attempted to take credit for “doing the right thing” when it terminated anchor Ed Henry, purportedly for “sexual misconduct.” As detailed in the Complaint, Fox News did not, in fact, do the right thing. In reality, as alleged, Fox News supported and even promoted Mr. Henry despite the fact that multiple women had complained about Mr. Henry’s sexually inappropriate conduct as early as 2017. According to the Complaint, the real reason that Fox News terminated Mr. Henry is that it knew that this lawsuit was coming and wanted to “get out ahead” of it.
The Complaint alleges that Mr. Henry did not merely engage in generic “sexual misconduct” towards Ms. Eckhart or Ms. Areu. Rather, as alleged, Mr. Henry subjected Ms. Eckhart to sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape. After Ms. Eckhart courageously came forward, as detailed in the Complaint, Fox News retaliated against Ms. Eckhart by, among other things, blindsiding her with Mr. Henry’s termination and issuing a completely misleading statement concerning his egregious conduct. Fox intentionally downplayed the severity of the situation by characterizing Mr. Henry’s actions as merely “sexual misconduct.” The Complaint asserts that Fox News was trying to avoid taking accountability for what actually happened; namely, that one of its most prominent on-air personalities — with a history of multiple sexual harassment complaints — sexually assaulted and raped Ms. Eckhart. This conduct on the part of Fox News is abhorrent, and, of course, has only served to greatly increase the trauma that Ms. Eckhart is experiencing as a result.
As for Ms. Areu, according to the Complaint, Mr. Henry sent her myriad wildly inappropriate, disturbing and sadistic sexual images and videos and repeatedly suggested that he would help her obtain an anchor position with Fox News if she engaged in sexual acts with him. In addition, Ms. Areu was sexually harassed by multiple other men at Fox News, including Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Howard Kurtz and Gianno Caldwell. The details of those acts are laid out in the Complaint, including a photograph that captures the image of a stack of cash on set that Mr. Hannity offered to his male staff, auctioning off Ms. Areu to anyone in the studio was “man enough” to take her on a date after work. Ms. Areu stated that she was hooked up to the studio equipment, to go on air live, and could not even walk away during the “auctioning.”
BREAKING: #EdHenry raped a former Fox News employee & sent sexually graphic texts to another, a lawsuit we filed today against Fox News alleges.
Fox News was aware of other complaints against Henry for years & downplayed it when his termination was announced on 7/1, as alleged.
— WigdorLaw (@WigdorLaw) July 20, 2020
Ms. Eckhart and Ms. Areu are represented by Wigdor LLP Founding Partner Douglas H. Wigdor and Partner Michael J. Willemin.
Statement from Douglas H. Wigdor and Michael J. Willemin:
“What this lawsuit reveals is that today’s Fox News is the same old Fox News. Some of the names in leadership may have changed since Roger Ailes’ regime, but Fox News’ institutional apathy towards sexual misconduct has not. How many more women will have to be victimized before Fox News finally takes sexual harassment and workplace sexual assault seriously? We expect Fox News to claim — as it almost always does — that an ‘independent’ investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. Of course, Fox News will have paid the investigator, who also happens to be a management-side employment lawyer. In other words, a significant part of this ‘investigator’s’ time is spent defending companies like Fox News against allegations such as the ones brought herein. Moreover, the investigator did not even speak with either of our clients, even though both Ms. Eckhart and Ms. Areu offered to meet with him under reasonable conditions. We call on Fox News to work with our clients to retain a truly independent investigator who is transparent. The results of any such investigation should be made public for the world to see.”
CBS This Morning
July 21, 2020
CNN’s New Day
July 21, 2020ABC News
“Fox stars Hannity, Carlson and fired anchor Henry in lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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Adweek
“Fox News Is Being Sued by Jennifer Eckhart and Cathy Areu, Who Claim Network Knew About Ed Henry’s Harassment Dating to 2017”
July 20, 2020
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Bloomberg
“Fox News and Ex-Anchor Ed Henry Sued for Sexual Misconduct”
July 20, 2020
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Business Insider
“Former Fox News producer alleges then-host Ed Henry violently raped her and asked her to be his ‘sex slave’ in lawsuit filed against the network”
July 20, 2020
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Buzzfeed News
“Former Fox News Anchor Ed Henry Has Been Accused Of Rape And Sexual Harassment In A New Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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CBS News
“Former Fox News host Ed Henry accused of rape in lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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CBS News
“Former Fox News employee who accused Ed Henry of rape “was paralyzed by fear” working at the network”
July 21, 2020
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CNBC
“Lawsuit accuses ex-Fox News reporter Ed Henry of rape, says Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson harassed other woman”
July 20, 2020
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CNN
“Former Fox News host Ed Henry accused of rape in new lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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Complex
“Former Fox News host Ed Henry accused of rape in new lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Daily Beast
“Ex-Fox News Star Ed Henry Accused of Rape in Brutal New Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Daily Beast
“Ex-Fox News Star Ed Henry Accused of Rape in Brutal New Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Daily Beast
“Former Fox News Host Alisyn Camerota: Ed Henry Story Proves Fox Is ‘Rotten to Its Core’”
July 21, 2020
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Daily Mail
“Fox News anchor Ed Henry is accused of ‘handcuffing and raping’ an employee in a NYC hotel room in bombshell lawsuit – which also accuses Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity of sexual harassment”
July 20, 2020
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Daily Mail
“Fox News employee accusing Ed Henry of rape says she ‘was paraylzed by fear’ at the network”
July 21, 2020
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Deadline
“Fox News, Ed Henry, Sean Hannity & Tucker Carlson Sued In Sex Trafficking, Sexual Harassment & Retaliation Suit”
July 20, 2020
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E! Online
“Fired Fox News Host Ed Henry and More Accused of Sexual Misconduct in Graphic Lawsuit”
July 21, 2020
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The Guardian
“Fox News hit by new claims of sexual misconduct by stars in lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Hill
“Lawsuit accuses ex-Fox host Ed Henry of rape”
July 20, 2020
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The Hollywood Reporter
“Fox News Hit With Lawsuit Alleging Sexual Misconduct by Top Talent”
July 20, 2020
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The Hollywood Reporter
“Producer Jennifer Eckhart Says She Was “Paralyzed by Fear” Working at Fox News
July 21, 2020
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HuffPost
“Ex-Fox News Host Ed Henry Accused Of Rape In Disturbing Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Independent
“Ex-Fox News presenter Ed Henry accused of rape as Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and others embroiled in sexual harassment lawsuit”
July 21, 2020
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Los Angeles Magazine
“A Federal Lawsuit Accuses Fox News Anchor Ed Henry of Rape and Other Hosts of Harassment”
July 20, 2020
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Los Angeles Times
“Former Fox News employee accuses ex-anchor Ed Henry of rape”
July 20, 2020
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Los Angeles Times
“Column: A Fox News anchor is sued for sexual harassment and assault. Where have I heard this before?”
July 21, 2020
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Long Island Press
“Fox News Host Sean Hannity And Ex-Anchor Ed Henry Sued For Sexual Harassment, Assault”
July 20, 2020
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Mediaite
“Ex-Fox News Anchor Ed Henry Accused of Rape, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity Accused of Harassment in New Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Mercury News
“Lawsuit vs. Fox News accuses Ed Henry of rape, Hannity and Carlson of sexual misconduct”
July 20, 2020
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NBC News
“Lawsuit accuses ex-Fox News co-anchor Ed Henry of ‘violent’ rape; alleges Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Howard Kurtz harassed guest”
July 20, 2020
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Newsday
“Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry accused of rape”
July 20, 2020
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New York Daily News
“Disgraced ex-Fox News anchor Ed Henry accused of brutal rape in federal lawsuit; Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson accused of sexual misconduct”
July 20, 2020
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The New York Times
“Two Women Sue Fox News, Claiming Misconduct by Ed Henry and Others”
July 20, 2020
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NPR
“Civil Suit Against Former Fox News Anchor Ed Henry Alleges Rape, Sexual Misconduct”
July 20, 2020
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People
“Ed Henry Accused of Rape, Trying to Make Fox News Staffer His ‘Sex Slave’ in Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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Politico
“Fox News and hosts sued in sexual harassment suit”
July 20, 2020
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Rolling Stone
“Lawsuit Against Fox News Accuses Ed Henry of Rape, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity of Sexual Harassment”
July 21, 2020
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Salon
“Lawsuit accuses former Fox News anchor Ed Henry of rape and current top talent of sexual harassment”
July 20, 2020
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TheGrio
“Fox News and stars Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Ed Henry accused of sexual harassment in new lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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TheWrap
“Fox News’ Ex-Host Ed Henry Accused of Rape, Hannity and Tucker Carlson of Sexual Harassment in Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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TV Guide
“New Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit Filed Against Fox News, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Ed Henry”
July 20, 2020
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USA Today
“Ed Henry accused of rape in civil suit that also targets Fox News, Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson”
July 20, 2020
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Variety
“Lawsuit Against Fox News Alleges Harassment From Anchors, Sexual Assault From Ed Henry”
July 20, 2020
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VICE
“Former Fox News Anchor Ed Henry Accused of Violent Rape”
July 20, 2020
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Vulture
“Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity Accused of Sexual Misconduct in New Lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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Washington Examiner
“Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and other Fox News personalities accused of sexual misconduct in lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Washington Post
“Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry accused of sexual assault in new lawsuit”
July 20, 2020
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The Washington Post
“Opinion | Fox News faces allegations of sexual harassment, rape”
July 20, 2020
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