The View co-host Jedediah Bila, who previously worked at Fox News as a contributor and co-host, said that there were no pants in the wardrobe at the network, echoing the 2013 claims of former Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson that “pants were not allowed.” In 2016, Carlson sued former Fox chair Roger Ailes and reached a $20 million settlement for sexual harassment. The culture of sexual harassment at Fox has drawn recent criticism after reports surfaced that prime-time host Bill O’Reilly and the network’s parent company 21st Century Fox settled with five women who accused O’Reilly of sexual harassment and verbal abuse. Additionally, Fox contributor Julie Roginsky filed a lawsuit on April 3 alleging that former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes made unwanted sexual advances to her and implied she would receive a promotion if she agreed. Bila commented on the allegations, calling Roginsky “good people” and adding that her former employer has “a problem.” From the April 4 edition of ABC’s The View:
Former Fox Host Confirms That Network Doesn't Let Women Wear Pants On Air
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
JEDEDIAH BILA (CO-HOST): What I was required to [do at Fox] -- we used to, you get wardrobes, but it’s different than here. You used to go into the room, and there were a bunch of dresses that you could choose from. I was told at one point I wasn’t allowed to wear orange because Roger [Ailes] doesn’t like the color orange. So I didn’t wear orange. But yeah, I didn’t see any pants. People always say, “Why didn’t you wear pants?” You’ll notice I wear pants a lot here. I didn’t wear pants because I didn’t see a pants option. I wasn’t given a pants option, so I had to choose skirts.
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BILA: I agree with you, though, that this is -- and both of you actually -- that this is how you hold -- Bill O'Reilly claims to be a champion of the free market. Well the free market is speaking right now by coming out and saying, “We don't want to advertise on your show.” And that is how you hold them accountable, because it's all about money in television, and if you have advertisers refusing, that's how all of the sudden Bill O'Reilly doesn't become so valuable to the network.
SUNNY HOSTIN (CO-HOST): He's denied these claims, of course, by the way.
BILA: He's denied the claims, of course. But you did have someone come out, Julie Roginsky came out with accusations. I worked with Julie. She's good people. I looked at that, and I said, “Wow they have a problem if they have good people with good reputations coming out now and saying these things.” And I've known her, I've worked with her.
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HOSTIN: Do you think they'll get rid of Bill O'Reilly in the vestiges of this sort of sexual harassment culture?
BILA: I'll tell you when it will happen. As I said before, when they find someone who can take that spot and bring in the ad revenue, then he will cease to be as valuable to them. Until then, I don't think that is going to happen.
(h/t RawStory)