In the first six hours after Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit against Fox News chairman Roger Ailes in a New Jersey superior court, there was silence from the Fox side. But not long after FNC’s parent company 21st Century Fox responded and Ailes released his statement, more support began to emerge. Both Fox News hosts Greta Van Susteren and Jeanine Pirro have done interviews while FNC contributor Brit Hume took to Twitter. All are suspicious of Carlson’s motives.
“I wouldn’t stick around if this were a weird place like that,” Van Susteren told the Daily Beast. “I feel bad for her. I imagine she’s quite unhappy that her contract wasn’t renewed.”
“Based on my experience, I’ve never seen it or heard it or suspected it,” said Van Susteren, who also put on her lawyer’s hat commenting on the suit. “I know some suits are beefed up a bit. You’re trying to get the other person to settle. I have no idea what’s going on here. Lawsuits are just pieces of paper.”
“This is something that is totally inconsistent with the man I’ve known probably longer than most people who work in that building,” added Pirro in an interview with the New York Times.
The Wrap was also provided 4 notes Carlson sent to Ailes last fall written after that September meeting in which she accused him of harassment. In the notes, Carlson thanks Ailes and offers to fill in host some prime time shows: “Sandra Smith filled in for MK (Megyn Kelly) why not me?” one note dated Oct. 9 reads.
Meanwhile, Hume responded to a Brian Stelter tweet with his own thought on the case:
Here’s another suggestion. Why didn’t she quit & sue instead of suing only after she got fired? https://t.co/8GPKprxxsT
— Brit Hume (@brithume) July 7, 2016