"Advertisers are fleeing “The O’Reilly Factor” following revelations that several women received a collective $13 million in settlements after accusing host Bill O’Reilly of sexual harassment.
But O’Reilly, who has worked at Fox News since the network launched in 1996, was a source of controversy long before The New York Times published its bombshell report on the accusations against him. The anchor has a history of making racist, sexist or otherwise inflammatory remarks — none of which prompted companies to pull advertisements from his show.
Here’s a look back at some of O’Reilly’s worst moments in his 20 years at Fox News.
He was previously accused of sexual harassment.
In 2004, Andrea Mackris, who was then a producer at Fox News, sued O’Reilly for sexual harassment. Her allegations, which can be found here, include multiple instances of O’Reilly making lewd remarks during phone conversations.
O’Reilly denied the charges, but settled the lawsuit. As HuffPost’s Michael Calderone wrote earlier this week, the suit had no lasting effect on O’Reilly’s career at Fox News.
He’s also faced domestic violence allegations.
In 2015, Gawker reported on court documents that showed O’Reilly had been accused of physically abusing his former wife, Maureen McPhilmy. According to the report, O’Reilly’s daughter allegedly claimed she had seen her father “dragging McPhilmy down a staircase by her neck.”
O’Reilly said the report was “100 percent false.” An appeals court, however, awarded McPhilmy primary custody of the estranged couple’s two children.
He made racist comments about a congresswoman.
Last month, O’Reilly mocked Rep. Maxine Waters’ (D-Calif.) hair during a segment of “Fox & Friends.”
“I didn’t hear a word she said. I was looking at the James Brown wig,” he said. “Do we have a picture of James Brown? It’s the same wig.”
O’Reilly later apologized for his comments, while Waters took him to task during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
“I am a strong black woman, and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined,” she said. "
Advertisers Boycotting Bill O'Reilly Ignored Years Of Offensive Comments | The Huffington Post
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