Bill O’Reilly Told Roger Ailes Biographer To ‘Drop Dead’ Last Night

Television personality Bill O'Reilly waits for the start of an event in the East Room of the White House, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, in Washington. Joined at the White House by young men of color, President Barack O... Television personality Bill O'Reilly waits for the start of an event in the East Room of the White House, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, in Washington. Joined at the White House by young men of color, President Barack Obama was calling on America's businesses, philanthropists and government leaders to join forces to put more boys on a path toward successful lives. Foundations were to announce pledges to spend at least $200 million over five years to promote that goal as Obama launches his "My Brother's Keeper" initiative. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) MORE LESS
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Gabriel Sherman got an icy reception Wednesday night from the biggest personality on Fox News, confirmation that he’s still persona non grata at the cable news channel following the publication of his devastating biography on Roger Ailes.

In a blog post Thursday for New York Magazine, Sherman recalled his experience at The Hollywood Reporter’s soiree honoring some of New York’s top media luminaries, including Ailes and Fox hosts Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly.

Sherman’s interaction with O’Reilly was brief but tense.

Ailes and Hannity were no-shows, so I decided to try O’Reilly first. I caught up with him near the doorway to the Grill Room. I asked if he had read the book and what he thought. When he registered who I was, his eyes bulged out of their sockets.

“Drop dead, man!” he screamed.
“Really?” I said, taken aback.

My response triggered another eruption. He lunged forward at me. He stood there, all six foot five of him, staring me down. I thought he might take a swing at me. His producer Jesse Watters stood nearby, smiling. Before I could say anything more, O’Reilly spun around and stalked off with Watters in tow.

Sherman reported that Kelly was friendlier but still kept it terse. She told him she couldn’t be seen talking to him before professing her admiration for Ailes.

“Roger Ailes is a great man,” Kelly told Sherman before he parted ways.

Sherman was unable to land an interview with Ailes for his 2013 biography on the Fox News chairman, “The Loudest Voice In The Room.” The author told TPM in an interview last year that his efforts to talk to talk to Ailes were a “battle for control.”

“And throughout the process, Ailes tried to put conditions on who I could and couldn’t talk to,” Sherman said. “As a reporter, my responsibility is to my readers and to be as fair and accurate as possible.”

Sherman did, however, have a pair of interactions with Ailes while researching the book, including one combative exchange at The Hollywood Reporter’s cocktail party in 2012.

Ailes repeatedly called Sherman a “harasser” and claimed that he’s helped protect Sherman’s First Amendment rights.

As for Kelly, she’s expressed affection for Ailes before and the feelings are clearly mutual. Ailes moved Kelly up to primetime last year and rushed to her defense when she draw mockery for saying that Santa is white.

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