If there’s anyone qualified to comment on the Gretchen Carlson/Roger Ailes battle, it’s former Fox News and CNN anchor Kiran Chetry.
Some of you may remember the rather ugly and highly-publicized parting between Chetry and Fox News in 2007. Chetry was co-anchor of Fox & Friends weekend. During contract negotiations, an FNC executive claimed Chetry’s agent asked the network to fire Gretchen Carlson, who was anchoring the weekday Fox & Friends. Those close to Chetry vehemently denied she wanted Carlson fired. Chetry soon left for CNN, where she would co-anchor American Morning, along with other programs, during her five-year stint at the network.
Now editor-in-chief of Nepalese American Magazine, Chetry authored a lengthy Facebook post last night giving her perspective on the situation. She detailed her 7-year working relationship with Ailes who’d hired her from Sacramento’s ABC affiliate KXTV. “Over the years at Fox, I met with Roger Ailes one-on-one many times and never once did Roger ever make me feel uncomfortable or put forth any sexual advances. I can’t speak for Gretchen since I wasn’t in the room. But I will tell you that I never felt uncomfortable around Roger Ailes.”
“In my mind, a boss complimenting me on how great I looked on air in a dress (or conversely saying how awful it read on TV) would be no different than a fashion designer telling a model ‘I love that outfit on you, it makes you look beautiful.’ Or a photographer telling someone he photographed ‘you look amazing in this picture.’ Is that sexual harassment? I guess there’s a fine line, and one we are all still learning how to not cross it…But when we accuse people of career ending words and acts, we have to do so with utter certainty.
I don’t know if that is the case here. What I do know with utter certainty is that in my time at Fox News Channel, Roger Ailes always treated me with respect.”