In another sign that the entire culture of Fox News is toxic from the top down, yet another male Fox star has been accused of sexual harassment by a female associate.
Sean Hannity joined Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes on a long list of sexually harassing and intimidating men. Former Fox guest Debbie Shlussel spoke out about being mistreated by Hannity on Friday. Schlussel claims that Hannity invited her to his hotel room while the two were briefly working together. After she refused, she was never asked to appear on the show again.
Schlussel said that Hannity pestered her to come to his hotel room, asking twice during the course of one day. When she refused, Hannity yelled at her.
“I wasn’t booked on his show again, and he called me and yelled at me,” Schlussel said. “It was made clear to me that I didn’t go back to his hotel with him after. I got a very weird feeling about the whole thing, and I kind of knew I wouldn’t be back on his show.”
Schlussel, like many other women who have spoke out, said that the culture at Fox News is full of women being harassed and intimidated by powerful men.
“This kind of stuff is all over the place at Fox News and anything that has to do with Sean Hannity.”
Hannity has refuted Schlussel’s claims, calling her a “serial harasser.” Hannity also threatened to sue his accuser, using the same lawyers that defended Ailes and O’Reilly time and time again.
Fortunately for Hannity, 21st Century Fox protects its (male) own, meaning that unless something more serious emerged against Hannity, his career should be safe for another decade. After all, it took years of intimidation and harassment before the likes of Ailes or O’Reilly could be successfully ousted.
