Roger Ailes outside of Fox News’ headquarters in Manhattan. Photo: Getty Images

Roger Ailes and Fox News formally parted ways just weeks after former Fox & Friends host Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment against the CEO. Now, according to a report by Gabriel Sherman of New York magazine, at least one former Fox News employee, a booker named Laurie Luhn, experienced not just years of unwanted sexual advances, but apparent psychological manipulation by Ailes, for which he was allegedly given cover by other high-ranking Fox News executives, including Fox’s legal counsel, Dianne Brandi; the channel’s former Washington bureau chief, Kim Hume; and Ailes’ former deputy, Bill Shine. We encourage you to read about Luhn’s harrowing tale in full, but among the details that stand out are:

  • Ailes allegedly coerced Luhn into dancing in his hotel room wearing lingerie, then blackmailed her with video footage of her doing so;
  • He allegedly convinced Luhn to “recruit” other female subordinates, which meant placing them in situations, such as an after-work meeting in his private office, where they would be vulnerable to his sexual entreaties;
  • He allegedly demanded that Luhn “engage in sadomasochistic sex with another woman while he watched” on three different occasions;
  • And that most of the above, save perhaps the explicit details of Ailes’ sexual demands on Luhn, were an open secret within Fox News.

There is much, much more to Sherman’s report, which you can read here.