Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson has filed a lawsuit against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, alleging he sexually harassed her during her tenure at the network.
“I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better,” Ailes allegedly told Carlson last September according to the complaint.
Carlson was a former “Fox & Friends” host, and most recently had hosted “The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson” on Fox News. She was fired on June 23 after 11 years with the network, according to the suit.
“I have strived to empower women and girls throughout my entire career,” Carlson said in a statement. “Although this was a difficult step to take, I had to stand up for myself and speak out for all women and the next generation of women in the workplace. I am extremely proud of my accomplishments at Fox News and for keeping our loyal viewers engaged and informed on events and news topics of the day.”
Carlson previously wrote about facing sexual harassment earlier in her career for the Huffington Post’s blog. She called on people to stop victim blaming, not let sexual harassment hold women back in their careers, and encouraged mandatory sexual harasment training.
“Finally, we have to stop thinking of sexual harassment as only a women’s issue,” she wrote. “It comes down to how we raise our children, including our sons. It’s not enough to tell our daughters to stand up for themselves. Part of putting an end to harassment involves educating boys to be completely accepting of women, both at home and at work, so that harassment becomes a relic of the past.”
Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.