Bill O'Reilly, Fox Sued By Woman Who Alleged Harassment: Report

NEW YORK, NY — A woman who reached a settlement with dethroned Fox News host Bill O’Reilly sued the network and its former employee on Monday for defamation and breach of contract, The New York Times reported. The lawsuit, the report says, claims they violated the settlement by making false and disparaging statements regarding her accusation that O'Reilly harassed her.

In the lawsuit, Rachel Witlieb Bernstein said she settled with Fox News and O’Reilly in 2002 after making several complaints to the network about O’Reilly’s behavior. The settlement included a nondisclosure agreement and a nondispargement clause, according to the Times.

Bernstein is one of six women who reached a settlement with O’Reilly, which led to his ouster at Fox News after the Times reported about the settlements in April. Bernstein’s allegations did not include sexual harassment, according to the Times.

Since he left the network, O’Reilly has repeatedly claimed the allegations against him are without merit and his firing was a “political hit job.”

In the suit filed Monday, Bernstein said O’Reilly is a “liar” who made false and defamatory statements about her, violating the settlement.

"O’Reilly portrayed himself as a 'target' and claimed that complaints against him are extortionate,” Bernstein’s suit claims, according to the Times. "This is false. In fact, he is a serial abuser and Ms. Bernstein’s complaints about him were far from extortionate."

Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Patch about the lawsuit.

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