It is the end of an era. Fox News officially fired popular host Bill O’Reilly amid unfounded allegations of sexual harassment. Tucker Carlson, host of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” will move up to O’Reilly’s coveted 8 p.m. time slot.
“The O’Reilly Factor” was Fox News’ top-rated cable news program for the past 15 years. O’Reilly drew 4 million viewers per night and commanded a $20 million annual salary.
O’Reilly’s audience remained staunchly loyal to the 67-year-old amid reports that he sexually harassed female anchors and other female employees and contract workers.
Carlson, 47, bested former Fox host Megyn Kelly’s ratings when she departed for NBC News in November.
Kelly claims she left Fox partly because of O’Reilly’s alleged sexual harassment.
One accuser, who is black, claimed O’Reilly called her “hot chocolate” and grunted at her “like a wild boar” when no one else was around.
The woman worked as a clerical worker for another broadcaster at the time in 2008.
Attorney Lisa Bloom told The Hollywood Reporter the woman isn’t looking for money.
In reality, the woman missed the deadline to file a lawsuit against O’Reilly.
O’Reilly, who is currently on vacation, denied the allegations through his counsel.
But according to the New York Times, O’Reilly quietly paid out $13 million in cash settlements to women who accused the divorcee of sexual harassment.
The father-of-2 claimed he paid the settlements to “put to rest any controversies to spare my children.”
