O'Reilly's Secret Harassment Settlements Become Public
- Ex-Fox News host battling defamation claims from three women
- Judge throws out O’Reilly bid to seal settlement agreements
Bill O'Reilly
Photographer: Rob Kim/Getty Images
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A U.S. judge made public the confidential settlement agreements between Bill O’Reilly and three former employees who accused him of sexual harassment, providing the first glimpse of the legal tactics the former Fox News host used to keep the allegations under wraps.
The documents show that in one provision, former producer Andrea Mackris, Fox and O’Reilly were required to “disclaim” any information about the settlement that becomes public. Another clause required Mackris’s lawyer at the time to switch sides and provide legal advice to O’Reilly, while agreeing not to represent other O’Reilly accusers, her new attorney says in a related court filing.