Fox News has fired Eric Bolling a month after news broke that he reportedly sent unsolicited pictures of genitalia to multiple female colleagues. The network has also canceled The Fox News Specialists but “intends to keep Bolling’s co-hosts, Eboni Williams and Kat Timpf, as contributors,” Variety reported on September 8.
Fox suspended Bolling in August after he was reported for the harassment by multiple women in a HuffPost article. The same day, another woman came forward reporting him for sexual harassment. Bolling sued the reporter who broke the story for $50 million in an attempt to “intimidate” him, explained the reporter. According to Variety, the network has also reinstated Fox Business host Charles Payne, who was also suspended following reports of sexual harassment. The Bolling and Payne examples are just the latest in a string of reports about a culture of predatory workplace harassment at Fox News.
From the Variety article:
Fox News Channel will part ways with host Eric Bolling, a host and contributor whose on-air presence at the 21st Century Fox-owned network had been growing in recent months, after allegations surfaced that he had harassed colleagues there, the network confirmed Friday.
“Fox News Channel is canceling ‘The Specialists,’ and Eric Bolling and Fox have agreed to part ways amicably,” the network said in a statement.” We thank Eric for his ten years of service to our loyal viewers and wish him the best of luck.” A Huffington Post report had disclosed allegations that Bolling had sent lewd messages to colleagues via smartphone.
Bolling, a former commodities trader and best-selling author, had been a longtime co-host of “The Five,” and more recently helped launch a new late-afternoon show, “The Fox News Specialists.” He also anchors the Fox News program “Cashin’ In.” Fox News intends to keep Bolling’s co-hosts, Eboni Williams and Kat Timpf, as contributors. The show will be replaced at 5 p.m. eastern with an hour of news coverage for the foreseeable future, with rotating anchors holding down the slot.
The allegations against Bolling were among the latest personnel issues to roil the network that broadcasts such popular shows as “Hannity” and “Fox & Friends.” The parent company, 21st Century Fox, is working to acquire the rest of European broadcaster Sky PLC that it does not already own. Attorneys for several employees who have sued Fox News and activists have used the accusations to suggest British regulators not approve the proposed transaction, which remains under government review.
During his time as a host on Fox News, Bolling was a major Trump sycophant who consistently expressed racist, xenophobic, and misogynist views. He had to apologize for asking on-air whether the first female UAE pilot who conducted bombing against Islamic State terrorists “would be considered boobs on the ground.” Bolling also once claimed Obama was “chugging a few 40’s” and said Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) should “step away from the crack pipe.”
Correction (3/6/2019): This piece originally stated that Bolling had “sent unsolicited explicit pictures of himself to multiple female colleagues.” In fact, reporting on Bolling’s alleged misconduct does not clarify who is pictured in the photos. The piece has been updated to include a more accurate description.