Want to end sexual harassment? Make lawsuits worth it.
Rachel Witleib Bernstein, Andrea Mackris and Rebecca Diamond, who The New York Times reported were paid not to speak about the gab show host's handsy behavior, sued in December, saying they were defamed by the network's executive and the fired best-selling author and host of "The O'Reilly Factor. The women say both 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch and O'Reilly claimed in news reports that they targeted them looking for a payday. There was a problem with our chief executive Roger Ailes sort of over the years, but isolated incidents," Murdoch told Sky News. Fox News lawyers say the women's statements have no merit because they were not mentioned by name in any comments and the suit should be tossed. The attorneys also filed the women's nondisclosure agreements — with heavy redactions.