Fox renewed Bill O'Reilly 's contract after he settled a $32 million sexual harassment claim
Bill O'Reilly
Former Fox News primetime host  Bill O'Reilly  settled a sexual harassment claim in January for a record $32 million.
One month later  Fox News' parent company  21st Century Fox  renewed  O'Reilly 's contract  giving  him  a four-year deal with a $25 million annual salary.
21st Century Fox executive Rupert Murdoch and his sons decided to stand by  O'Reilly  despite the mounting allegations against  him .
 Former Fox News headliner Bill O'Reilly  settled a new sexual harassment claim for a record $32 million in January  The New York Times reported on Saturday.
One month after  O'Reilly  settled the claim — which was at least the sixth agreement that had been reached relating to  O'Reilly 's sexual misconduct — Fox News' parent company  21st Century Fox  renewed the host's contract with the network and agreed to a four-year deal with a $25 million annual salary.
 The company  said in a statement that  it  was not aware of the amount of  O'Reilly 's settlement with Wiehl and saw the dispute as a personal issue between the two.
According to the Times  21st Century Fox executives Rupert Murdoch and his sons  James and Lachlan  decided to back up  O'Reilly  in January despite the mounting allegations against  him . That decision hinged on two factors: limiting the negative publicity that a second sexual harassment scandal — coming as the network grappled with fallout from the allegations against former chairman Roger Ailes — would bring  and Megyn Kelly's announcement that she would be leaving the network after signing a multi-year contract with NBC.
 O'Reilly 's $32 million agreement with Wiehl is the largest known amount paid out to settle a sexual misconduct claim at Fox News  according to the Times. The closest figure to that amount is the $20 million former host Gretchen Carlson received when she accused Ailes of sexual harassment in 2016.
 O'Reilly 's lawyer disputed Wiehl's characterization of their relationship and said the host's relationship with the network analyst was an 18-year friendship during which she sometimes gave him legal counsel.
Mark Fabiani   O'Reilly 's spokesman  said regarding Wiehl's allegations of a nonconsensual sexual relationship that 21st Century Fox was "well aware" Wiehl had signed an affidavit "renouncing all allegations" against  O'Reilly  and that after the agreement was reached  Fox News offered  O'Reilly  "a record breaking contract " per The Times.
 O'Reilly  told the Times on Wednesday that none of the allegations against him held any merit. "I never mistreated anyone "  O'Reilly  said  and reiterated that  he  had reached settlements with  his  accusers because  he  wanted to shield  his  children from the repercussions and publicity surrounding the issue.
"It's politically and financially motivated "  O'Reilly  told the Times  referring to the backlash that followed after the initial allegations against  him  were made public in April. "We can prove it with shocking information  but I'm not going to sit here in a courtroom for a year and a half and let my kids get beaten up every single day of their lives by a tabloid press that would sit there  and you know it "  he  said.
 O'Reilly  was ultimately ousted from the network in April  following an exodus of advertisers from  his  show's time slot. Earlier that month  the Times published an investigation that found that  O'Reilly  and Fox News had paid out $13 million to five women to settle sexual-harassment claims they had brought against  him .
Multiple other women accused  O'Reilly  of sexual harassment after the report was published. Shortly before  O'Reilly  was booted  an unnamed black woman said through her attorney  Lisa Bloom  that  O'Reilly  leered at her and called her "hot chocolate" in 2008. Bloom is also representing Wendy Walsh  a former Fox News contributor who has said that  O'Reilly  reneged on an offer of employment after  she  rebuffed  his  advances and declined an invitation to  his  hotel suite in 2013.
"After a thorough and careful review of the allegations  the Company and  Bill O'Reilly  have agreed that  Bill O'Reilly  will not be returning to the Fox News Channel " 21st Century Fox  the parent company of Fox News  said in the statement in April.
In an internal memo obtained by Business Insider  Murdoch and his sons  Lachlan and James  said that "after a thorough and careful review of allegations against him  the company and  Bill O'Reilly  have agreed that  Mr. O'Reilly  will not return to the Fox News Channel.
Former Fox News primetime host  [TGT]settled a sexual harassment claim in January for a record $32 million.
One month later  Fox News' parent company  21st Century Fox  renewed  [TGT] 's contract  giving  him  a four-year deal with a $25 million annual salary.
21st Century Fox executive Rupert Murdoch and his sons decided to stand by  O'Reilly  despite the mounting allegations against  him .
 Former Fox News headliner [TGT]settled a new sexual harassment claim for a record $32 million in January  The New York Times reported on Saturday.
One month after  [TGT]settled the claim — which was at least the sixth agreement that had been reached relating to  [TGT] 's sexual misconduct — Fox News' parent company  21st Century Fox  renewed the host's contract with the network and agreed to a four-year deal with a $25 million annual salary.
 The company  said in a statement that  it  was not aware of the amount of  [TGT] 's settlement with Wiehl and saw the dispute as a personal issue between the two.
According to the Times  21st Century Fox executives Rupert Murdoch and his sons  James and Lachlan  decided to back up  [TGT]in January despite the mounting allegations against  [TGT] . That decision hinged on two factors: limiting the negative publicity that a second sexual harassment scandal — coming as the network grappled with fallout from the allegations against former chairman Roger Ailes — would bring  and Megyn Kelly's announcement that she would be leaving the network after signing a multi-year contract with NBC.
 [TGT] 's $32 million agreement with Wiehl is the largest known amount paid out to settle a sexual misconduct claim at Fox News  according to the Times. The closest figure to that amount is the $20 million former host Gretchen Carlson received when she accused Ailes of sexual harassment in 2016.
 [TGT] 's lawyer disputed Wiehl's characterization of their relationship and said the host's relationship with the network analyst was an 18-year friendship during which she sometimes gave him legal counsel.
Mark Fabiani   [TGT] 's spokesman  said regarding Wiehl's allegations of a nonconsensual sexual relationship that 21st Century Fox was "well aware" Wiehl had signed an affidavit "renouncing all allegations" against  [TGT]and that after the agreement was reached  Fox News offered  O'Reilly  "a record breaking contract " per The Times.
 [TGT]told the Times on Wednesday that none of the allegations against [TGT] held any merit. "I never mistreated anyone "  [TGT]said  and reiterated that  [TGT]  had reached settlements with  [TGT]  accusers because  [TGT]  wanted to shield  [TGT]  children from the repercussions and publicity surrounding the issue.
"It's politically and financially motivated [TGT]told the Times  referring to the backlash that followed after the initial allegations against  him  were made public in April. "We can prove it with shocking information  but I'm not going to sit here in a courtroom for a year and a half and let my kids get beaten up every single day of their lives by a tabloid press that would sit there  and you know it "  he  said.
 [TGT]was ultimately ousted from the network in April  following an exodus of advertisers from  [TGT]  show's time slot. Earlier that month  the Times published an investigation that found that  [TGT]and Fox News had paid out $13 million to five women to settle sexual-harassment claims they had brought against  [TGT] .
Multiple other women accused  O'Reilly  of sexual harassment after the report was published. Shortly before  [TGT]was booted  an unnamed black woman said through her attorney  Lisa Bloom  that  [TGT]leered at her and called her "hot chocolate" in 2008. Bloom is also representing Wendy Walsh  a former Fox News contributor who has said that  [TGT]reneged on an offer of employment after  she  rebuffed  [TGT]  advances and declined an invitation to  [TGT]  hotel suite in 2013.
"After a thorough and careful review of the allegations  the Company and  [TGT]have agreed that  [TGT]will not be returning to the Fox News Channel " 21st Century Fox  the parent company of Fox News  said in the statement in April.
In an internal memo obtained by Business Insider  Murdoch and his sons  Lachlan and James  said that "after a thorough and careful review of allegations against him  the company and  [TGT]have agreed that  Mr. O'Reilly  will not return to the Fox News Channel.