"For once in my life I'm going to keep my big mouth shut": Bill O'Reilly refuses to join other prominent Fox News hosts in condemning Roger Ailes

"Roger Ailes was very good to me, and I feel very bad for his family. That's it"

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published September 13, 2016 2:50PM (EDT)

After more than a dozen women shared stores of sexual harassment from former Fox News head honcho Roger Ailes, the network's biggest stars were quick to defend the conservative media icon.

“I stand behind Roger 100 percent,” host Bill O'Reilly said in July, telling "Late Night" host Seth Meyers that the lawsuit filed against Ailes by former Fox News colleague Gretchen Carlson was “a deplorable situation” O'Reilly argued at the time that Ailes was merely a “target” like any other “famous, powerful or wealthy person.”

While longtime Fox News host Geraldo Rivera has expressed for his initial support of Ailes, and former Fox News host Greta Van Susteren walked back her vigorous defense of Ailes after he was forced out of Fox News weeks later, O'Reilly has apparently not had a change of heart about his former boss.

"Best boss I’ve ever had," the "O'Reilly Factor" host said on NBC's "Today" Tuesday. "That’s all I’ve said. I’m not going to say anything else."

O’Reilly himself has been accused of sexual harassment by a former Fox producer. The network supported O’Reilly throughout the lawsuit, which he settled in 2004.

“You’ve been on record saying you support [Ailes] 100%,” host Savannah Guthrie pressed. “Have you learned anything in these last few months that made you change your mind about that?”

“I don’t know anything about the case,” O'Reilly insisted. "And I don’t really have any insight into anything. So for once in my life, I’m going to keep my big mouth shut.”

"And I’m not going to say anything else because I work for this company," he added.

“Does it feel different when you walk in the building?” co-host Willie Geist asked

"We do the exact same thing, there has been no change, we do what we do," O'Reilly replied.

“I don’t walk in the building a lot,” noted the Fox host and author. “I do a lot of my work in a separate place. It’s a sad situation for everyone involved and that’s all I’m gonna say.”

Watch below, via NBC:


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

MORE FROM Sophia Tesfaye


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Bill O'reilly Fox News Geraldo Rivera Greta Van Susteren Roger Ailes Sexual Harassment The Today Show Video