Fox News head Roger Ailes resigns amid sexual harassment allegations
Rupert Murdoch will take over the reins at Fox News after chairman and CEO Roger Ailes has resigned amid a number of allegations and media reports of sexual harassment.
Announcing Ailes' departure this evening, Murdoch, who is executive chairman of holding company 21st Century Fox thanked him for his contribution and said he will become its new acting CEO.
Ailes has been CEO of the news outlet for 20 years and chairman for a decade, though speculation over his future had been mounting in recent days. In a lawsuit earlier this month former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson accused Ailes of sexual harassment and said he "sabotaged her career".
Ailes denied the claims, saying her allegations were "false" and she was taking "retaliatory [action] for the network's decision not to renew her contract."
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Since the lawsuit was made public a number of other accounts of alleged sexual harassment have been published.
Rupert Murdoch and his sons Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch, who all hold executive positions at 21st Century Fox, did not directly address the allegations in their statements this evening.
Rupert Murdoch said: "Roger Ailes has made a remarkable contribution to our company and our country. Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organisation and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years."
In a joint statement, Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch added: "We continue our commitment to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect. We take seriously our responsibility to uphold these traditional, long-standing values of our company."