Kelly derides O’reilly over $32M payout

NEW YORK — Megyn Kelly took on her former Fox News Channel colleague Bill O’reilly in blunt terms on Monday, revealing she had gone to her bosses to complain about O’reilly’s behavior and saying the size of a newly revealed $32 million settlement of harassment charges made by a Fox analyst was “jaw-dropping.”

O’reilly responded, in part, by posting a copy of a thank-you note Kelly had sent to him for a gift given at a baby shower.

The New York Times reported that O’reilly had agreed to the $32 million deal to set aside allegations that include a nonconsensual sexual relationship with former Fox analyst Lis Wiehl, bringing to six the number of harassment settlements involving him. The deal was reached a month before O’reilly signed a contract extension and three months before O’reilly was fired because of publicity about the cases against him. O’reilly has said he’s done nothing wrong.

More than just an embarrassment that Fox had hoped was in its rearview mirror, the story could have costly consequences. Fox’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, is awaiting a decision by British regulators regarding its purchase of the Sky satellite television company, and the issue of Fox News’ management is being considered.

Kelly, on her NBC show Monday, refuted O’reilly’s claims that no one had complained about him, saying Fox “was not exactly a friendly environment” for women who had stories to tell about abuse.

She said she went to Fox leaders Bill Shine, who has since resigned, and Jack Abernethy, who is now president of Fox News Network, after her memoir was published last November with her anger about O’reilly’s suggestion that people who complained about their treatment at Fox were disloyal