The former chairman of Fox News was facing sexual harassment lawsuits. Now, that he has passed away, his estate inherits them.
It has not been the best year for Fox News. A series of allegations of sexual harassment have been made against some of the biggest names at the cable news network.
The highest rated host, Bill O’Reilly, recently left the company amid allegations.
Before there were allegations against O’Reilly, sexual harassment allegations were made against Roger Ailes, the chairman of the network. These allegations forced Ailes to resign.
One lawsuit against Ailes and the network was filed by a former television host, Gretchen Carlson. That lawsuit was settled for $20 million.
Ailes recently passed away, but that does not mean the legal troubles are over, as The Cut reports in “What Will Happen to the Sexual-Harassment Lawsuits Against Roger Ailes?”
Two more lawsuits that were filed against Ailes, are still pending. He always maintained his innocence and was expected to fight against the claims in court.
His estate, however, is likely to take a different stance.
Since Ailes is unable to defend himself and tell his side of the story, the estate does not have a good way to refute the claims in court. That could lead them to settle the lawsuits quickly, so they can distribute whatever is left of Ailes’ estate to his heirs.
This is an example of not only how estates still have to defend against legal claims made against the deceased, but also of how the nature of the case can quickly change when the estate takes over.
Reference: The Cut (May 18, 2017) “What Will Happen to the Sexual-Harassment Lawsuits Against Roger Ailes?“