Former top Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who left the network in April amid accusations of sexual harassment, in January struck a $32 million settlement agreement with a former analyst for Fox News, months before his contract was extended, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
The New York Times reported, citing two unnamed sources briefed on the matter, that O’Reilly made the agreement to settle allegations “of repeated harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of gay pornography and other sexually explicit material” to the analyst.
Despite the settlement, and others the New York Times reported in April totaled $13 million to five women over the last 15 years, 21st Century Fox extended O’Reilly’s contract in February, according to the report.
21st Century Fox said in a statement to the New York Times that O’Reilly’s settlement with Lis Wiehl, a former legal analyst at Fox News, was a personal matter between the two, and said O’Reilly “was the biggest star in cable TV.”
O’Reilly claimed to the New York Times that he “never mistreated anyone” and claimed he could “prove it.”
Fox News referred TPM’s request for comment to 21st Century Fox, who did not immediately respond.
This report has been updated.
