Bill O'Reilly, host of the top-rated program on US cable news, reached a settlement Thursday in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by Andrea Mackris, 33, a former associate producer on his Fox News Channel show. O'Reilly, 55, announced the agreement on "The O'Reilly Factor" the same evening.
Under the deal, O'Reilly simultaneously withdrew his own counter-suit, in which he had accused Mackris of seeking $60 million to keep her allegations private. Neither side admitted wrongdoing, and financial terms were not disclosed, though press reports indicated O'Reilly likely paid several million dollars.
Mackris's original complaint, circulated widely online, alleged that O'Reilly made graphic sexual remarks to her by phone and over dinner, referencing vibrators, phone sex, and masturbation. One alleged call transcript described him confusing a loofah with a "falafel," a detail that inspired at least one parody website.
O'Reilly, married with two children, said on air that protecting his family had been his primary concern. Mackris joined "The O'Reilly Factor" in April 2000 and departed for CNN in early 2004, then returned to Fox in July after her CNN supervisor was dismissed on sexual harassment grounds.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.