The Real Reason Kimberly Guilfoyle Is Leaving Fox News
Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles, joined Fox News in 2006, but she really hit the big time when she was chosen to be a co-host on the network's wildly popular talk show, The Five, in 2011. Serving as the show's legal analyst, Guilfoyle and company turned the nightly panel discussion into the second-most-watched program in cable news by 2013. Sounds like a dream gig for someone in her shoes, right? Maybe not.
In July 2018, Guilfoyle abruptly left Fox News. The network released a brief, single-sentence statement: "Fox News has parted ways with Kimberly Guilfoyle." That doesn't seem very friendly, so what exactly happened to prompt the sudden exit? According to People, the circumstances surrounding her shocking departure are murky. Sexual harassment? A new job? True love? An internal power struggle? Let's look at some of the potential real reasons Kimberly Guilfoyle left Fox News.
She's been accused of 'emotionally abusive behavior'
According to HuffPost, Guilfoyle's fate at Fox News was sealed following a lengthy human resources investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior. Six sources claimed her "behavior included showing personal photographs of male genitalia to colleagues (and identifying whose genitals they were), regularly discussing sexual matters at work and engaging in emotionally abusive behavior toward hair and makeup artists and support staff." A source also told HuffPost that after similar exposure to Guilfoyle's TMI talks, a female assistant was allegedly "desperate to get away from Kimberly" and repeatedly attempted "to find a way to get a new job or get reassigned within the network."
HuffPost reported that Guilfoyle allegedly received warnings about her conduct, but since she was close to former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, many at the network supposedly "saw her as untouchable." After Ailes was gone, so was Guilfoyle's alleged protection. Sources claim she tried to appeal to big shots at parent company 21st Century Fox, but the network supposedly told her she had to hit the road by July 2018.
These are serious allegations, and Guilfoyle is fighting back...
She was subjected to sexism
In April 2017, Fox News ousted longtime prime-time anchor Bill O'Reilly following sexual harassment allegations, reported Deadline. You'd think that others at the network would take that news and, you know, be cognizant of saying anything sexist in the workplace, much less on the air. But that wasn't the case.
The same day news broke about O'Reilly's ouster, Kimberly Guilfoyle got into in a verbal sparring match with former The Five co-host Bob Beckel. According to Media Matters, she called Beckel a "waah, waah, crybaby" and told him to "call your camp counselor." He shot back, "Call your dressmaker," presumably referring to Guilfoyle's tight outfit. She quipped, "And give him a raise, that's what I'm saying." Co-host Greg Gutfeld then jumped into the fray with a sexual innuendo aimed at Guilfoyle: "You are giving America a raise," he said.
Guilfoyle appears to laugh off that erection joke with an "Oh my God," but this begs the question: Was she also subjected to the kind of toxic workplace behavior some of her female colleagues had reported? If so, that could be another reason to cut ties with the network.
She was accused of pressuring women to defend Roger Ailes
Former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes ran the network for some two decades before resigning amid a flood of sexual harassment allegations, including from network stars Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, who claimed they suffered "psychological torture" at his hand. Julie Roginsky, another Fox News contributor, also sued the company for sexual harassment in 2017. According to the Daily Mail, she claimed Ailes forced her to kiss him during meetings and to allow him to look down her dress. The lawsuit alleges Ailes passed her over for a promotion on The Five because she refused his advances. According to Vanity Fair, Roginsky's suit also "alleged that Guilfoyle pressured her to praise Ailes and impugn Carlson," and sources claim the network "investigated [Guilfoyle's] role in pressuring female colleagues to publicly defend" Ailes.
While Guilfoyle certainly did her part to stick up for the embattled executive, in both interviews and her own tweets, there's been no confirmation that Guilfoyle acted inappropriately toward her colleagues, as of this writing. But even being allegedly associated on the wrong side of the #metoo movement may have cut short her journalism career.
She has high hopes for her new boyfriend
Vanessa Trump filed for divorce from her husband of 12 years, Donald Trump Jr., in March 2018. Soon after, President Donald Trump's oldest son took up with Kimberly Guilfoyle, and if this picture of the two of them holding hands at the White House doesn't clue you in, let's just say she may be playing the long game.
During an interview with Breitbart News Daily, Guilfoyle called her beau the "No. 1 up-and-coming political figure, for sure, on the right." She added that they've known one another for more than a decade and rattled off a long list of supposed qualifications, including his "compelling political voice" and intelligence. As "a big Second Amendment supporter," Guilfolye also reportedly gushed that Trump Jr. "knows everything about weapons."
In that same interview, Guilfoyle trashed the "imposter" media, describing some pundits as "teetering on the brink of [being] completely mentally ill." She also said, "Some of these people need to get a beat down, and I'm happy to give it to them." Okay then, maybe it's better for everyone if Guilfoyle switches careers ... but did she even have a choice?
She's been eyeing the White House for a while
Kimberly Guilfoyle emerged as a serious contender to be President Trump's White House press secretary in 2016, but the job eventually went to Sean Spicer. When Spicer resigned in July 2017, Guilfoyle's name resurfaced to potentially take over the coveted spot on the communications team.
"I'm a patriot, and it would be an honor to serve the country," she told The Mercury News. Calling the gig "fascinating" and "challenging," Guilfoyle said there was "room for improvement" in the position. She also seemed confident she could handle The Donald. "You've got to insist on getting in front of POTUS, talk to him, and have like five, six minutes with him before you go out there and take the podium, and otherwise you're driving blind."
Sarah Huckabee Sanders wound up replacing Spicer, but the point is, Guilfoyle has been considering opportunities outside the realm of Fox News, and she found one.
Guilfoyle strikes back
It didn't take long for the former prosecutor to pursue legal action in response to the unflattering stories about her Fox News departure. According to The Wrap, Guilfoyle's legal team "sent threatening legal letters" to The Huffington Post and several other media outlets (including Slate, Inquisitr, and The Wrap,) demanding retractions.
Journalist Yashar Ali, the author of The Huffington Post's articles, stands by his reporting. "Kimberly Guilfoyle has retained the law firm of Clare Locke & sent a threatening legal notice to HuffPost and me. Saying that my story had false and defamatory claims and that if the story wasn't retracted it would constitute evidence of 'actual malice.' (The story is accurate)," he tweeted.
Inquisitr, on the other hand, decided to back down. "The Inquisitr's editorial team offers this full and frank retraction of this story and apologizes for any duress Ms. Guilfoyle may have experienced as a result of this repeated story," said its statement.
Though we may never see her on Fox News again, we're willing to bet this isn't the last we've heard from her. In fact, all signs point toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...
Super (PAC) woman
Whatever the reason for her shocking departure from Fox News, Kimberly Guilfoyle has reportedly already lined up her next gig. According to USA Today, "Guilfoyle will serve as vice chairwoman of America First Action, a super PAC formed by President Donald Trump's allies to help elect candidates who support his agenda."
She issued a statement about her new pursuit: "Throughout my career as a prosecutor and journalist, I've seen a lot and shared many stories of tragedy, triumph, and everything in between — but never have I experienced anything quite like the energy the America First movement brings."
It's worth noting that Guilfoyle wrote a bestseller titled Making the Case: How to Be Your Own Best Advocate that's designed to "help you win arguments, get what you want, help others along the way, and come out ahead in any situation," so she's probably carefully plotting her next move as we speak.