These Are By Far The Shadiest Fox News News Anchors

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The following article includes allegations of sexual assault.

Of all America's cable news networks, it's fair to say that Fox News has experienced more than its fair share of scandals. That, in fact, went all the way to the top of the organization when anchor Gretchen Carlson blew the whistle on the network's founding CEO, Roger Ailes, about his decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct. Her 2016 lawsuit unleashed a tsunami of similar or even more heinous allegations against the CEO.

Ailes eventually resigned, with Fox News paying $45 million in settlements to his victims — $20 million of that was paid to Carlson alone. By the time the story made it to the screen — dramatized in a feature film ("Bombshell") and TV miniseries ("The Loudest Voice"), both debuting in 2019 — Ailes was already dead, leaving behind a legacy of shame and disgrace.

Not surprisingly, it's been revealed that Ailes was far from the only offender at the network, with many anchors (past and present) having become mired in their own controversies. To find out more, keep on reading and it will be clear that these are by far the shadiest Fox News anchors.

During his two decades with Fox News, there was no personality more popular than Bill O'Reilly. Anchor of "The O'Reilly Factor," O'Reilly commanded a huge following. In 2015, the show was watched by more than 3 million viewers, while the combined ratings of rival cable news networks MSNBC and CNN in that time slot were less than half that number.

It all came crashing down in 2016 when Fox News anchor Andrea Tantaros sued the network, claiming that she experienced sexual harassment from both Roger Ailes and O'Reilly — and that execs not only knew about O'Reilly's behavior, but took vigorous steps to silence complaints about him. Her allegations led to the revelation that other women had made similar complaints about him, with allegations going as far back as 2004 — and that Fox News had paid $13 million in five different settlements to O'Reilly's accusers. Interestingly, ratings for "The O'Reilly Factor" surged in the midst of the scandal, even as advertisers fled. Meanwhile, another report revealed that there had been a sixth settlement, in 2016, for a staggering $32 million. Soon after that massive payout, Fox News extended O'Reilly's contract for four years at a salary of $25 million.

Yet once O'Reilly's shady double life had been exposed, it was all over for him. In April 2017, Fox News' parent company, 21st Century Fox, issued a statement declaring that O'Reilly had been shown the door.

Fox News anchor Sean Hannity had avoided the kind of sexual misconduct allegations that brought down Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly — until 2017. That was when Debbie Schlussel — who was a regular guest on his show — alleged that Hannity pressured her to join him in his hotel room after a book signing, then stopped booking her when she refused his advances. Hannity, however, issued a statement to deny her claims, which he asserted were completely fabricated. He also characterized her as a "serial harasser" who'd been lying about him for years. She later backed down, telling LawNewz (via Variety) that she never felt Hannity's actions toward her constituted "sexual harassment," but admitted she still found him to be "weird and creepy."

That wasn't the only time that the shady side of Hannity came to light. Take the controversy that erupted in 2020 when he denied calling the COVID-19 virus a hoax — just nine days after he called it a hoax on air. In fact, Hannity has garnered a reputation for making false statements, to the point that PolitiFact has devoted an entire web page documenting all the whoppers he's told on the air.

Hannity has also sparred with, not one, but two late-night hosts, feuding with Jimmy Kimmel and also tussling with Seth Meyers, with HuffPost reporting that Hannity blasted Meyers as "just another limousine liberal, socialist, hypocritical a***ole ... And you're not funny, ever."

Glenn Beck's sharp conservative commentary had already dredged up controversy when he was hired by Fox News in 2008, lured away from CNN's HLN. At his new home, Beck ratcheted that up considerably during an appearance on morning show "Fox and Friends," when a discussion of President Barack Obama turned cringeworthy. "The president, I think, has exposed himself as a guy, over and over and over again, who has a deep-seated hatred for white people, or the white culture," said Beck. Even though host Brian Kilmeade pointed out the absurdity of what he'd just said, Beck doubled down. "This guy is, I believe, a racist," Beck said of Obama.

The backlash was so severe that Fox News executive Bill Shine insisted that Beck was expressing his personal opinion, not that of Fox News. Beck was finally forced to address his comments, although to characterize his remarks as an apology would be a stretch. "It shouldn't have been said; it was poorly said; I have a big fat mouth sometimes, and I say things," Beck conceded on the air when appearing alongside Fox News colleague Chris Wallace (via Politico). "I don't want to retract — I want to amend," he said, claiming he misunderstood Obama's stance on so-called white culture. "I didn't understand really his theological viewpoints come from Liberation Theology; that's what I think at the gut level I was sensing and I miscast it as racism," Beck added.

As time went on, both viewers and advertisers began avoiding the show. Beck eventually parted ways with Fox News in 2011.

Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro made headlines in May 2025 when President Donald Trump selected her to be the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Prior to that, though, the former judge and district attorney spent years at Fox News, first on her own show — "Justice with Judge Jeanine" — and then as a panelist on "The Five." Scandal has accompanied Pirro at every step along the way. Back in 2006, Pirro's campaign for attorney general of New York cratered when she was captured on tape discussing plans to bug her then-husband's boat, so she could spy on him in order to catch him cheating on her.

Her Fox News TV show was also rocked by controversy, including her 2019 suspension for questioning the patriotism of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar because of her Muslim faith. She didn't exactly have the confidence of Fox News staffers, either. In fact, a lawsuit revealed that the producer of her show described her as "a reckless maniac," also calling her "nuts," a sucker for "conspiracy theories," and insisting she "should never be on live television."

In 2022, Fox News pulled the plug on "Justice with Judge Jeanine." "Pirro was a problem," two sources (using the same words) told Brian Stelter for his book, "Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy."

On Fox News' sister channel, Fox Business, Charles Payne hosted his own show, "Making Money." In July 2017, Payne was suspended after Scottie Nell Hughes, a female contributor to his show, claimed that he'd sexually assaulted her. While Payne denied the allegations, he also admitted that he and the woman — both of whom were married to other people — had an adulterous relationship, but Hughes argued it was coerced.

After undertaking an investigation, Fox News found no evidence to support Hughes' claims. But after the allegations went public, Hughes also claimed that she'd been blacklisted from Fox Business when she reported Payne to the network in 2015. In a statement to The New York Times, Payne's attorney, Jonathan N. Halpern, denied that his client had done anything wrong, adding, "We are confident that when the evidence is presented in this case," he continued, "Mr. Payne will be fully vindicated and these outrageous accusations against him will be confirmed as completely false."

As the case wound through the courts, a judge dismissed several of Hughes' claims. But she was permitted to move ahead with her claim that she'd experienced retaliation by being disinvited to appear on the network. A settlement was eventually reached, and Payne remained in his job.

Shortly after those accusations against Charles Payne, Fox News anchor Eric Bolling found himself facing allegations of sexual misconduct. It all began with a report from HuffPost, in which three women who worked at the network claimed that Bolling had sent them texts that featured an "unsolicited photo of male genitalia." While Fox News announced an investigation, Bolling was defiant. "Mr. Bolling recalls no such inappropriate communications, does not believe he sent any such communications, and will vigorously pursue his legal remedies for any false and defamatory accusations that are made," Bolling's attorney, Michael J. Bowe, told the outlet.

Bolling's insistence of innocence, however, fell on deaf ears when Fox News' investigation seemingly, allegedly confirmed the allegations. The day after that HuffPost piece was published, Fox News canceled his show. While the word "fired" wasn't used, a statement issued to the Los Angeles Times certainly led readers to draw that assumption. "Fox News Channel is canceling the 'Specialists,' and Eric Bolling and Fox have agreed to part ways amicably," a network spokesperson declared about what was certainly among the most controversial Fox News exits of all time.

Bolling was subsequently hired by the Newsmax cable channel, but exited after just three years. He went on to launch a podcast in fall 2024 for Red Seat Ventures, home to fellow Fox News alums Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson. It all came full circle a few months later when Fox News' parent company, Fox Corporation, acquired Red Seat Ventures.

David Hogg was a 17-year-old in a science class when a 2018 mass shooting at Florida's Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School changed the trajectory of his life. He and several other students became vocal activists for stricter gun-control legislation — which placed him in the crosshairs of conservative Laura Ingraham.

The host of Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" tweeted a link to an article about Hogg just over a month after the shooting, writing, "David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it." In response, Hogg issued a tweet of his own, calling on advertisers to boycott her show. That boycott proved to be devastatingly effective. Numerous companies — including such heavy-hitters as TripAdvisor, Wayfair, Hulu, Johnson & Johnson, and Nestle — announced plans to pull advertising from "The Ingraham Angle."

Damage control was needed, and Ingraham issued an apology, which Hogg felt was less than sincere. Appearing on CNN, Hogg was asked if he accepted her apology. "No," he declared. "She's only apologizing after a third of her advertisers pulled out."

Tucker Carlson first came to television via CNN before moving to MSNBC and then, in 2009, to Fox News. His opinions consistently generated controversy, including his calls for NFL quarterback Michael Vick to be executed and calling singer Maren Morris a "lunatic" on his show (via People) over her support of transgender rights. In late 2018, his comments that immigrants to the U.S. made the country "poorer and dirtier" (via BBC) led to an exodus of advertisers.

It was Carlson's continual on-air claims about election fraud sending Joe Biden to the White House that led him to be singled out in a blockbuster $1.6-billion defamation suit brought against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox News was then sued by former producer, Abby Grossberg, claiming the network was trying to make her a scapegoat in the Dominion suit. In April 2023, Fox News announced ties with Carlson had been officially severed. "Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways," read a statement obtained by People.

The shady side of Tucker Carlson did not end when he exited Fox News. The following year, he conducted a fawning interview with Vladimir Putin, which many saw as letting the Russian dictator's statements of propaganda go entirely unchallenged, while Carlson himself compared America unfavorably to Russia. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified under oath about his knowledge that Carlson was among the so-called journalists being funded by Russia, in a widespread effort to destabilize democracy throughout the world.

In early 2025, Pete Hegseth became secretary of defense in the second Trump administration. Before that, Hegseth had transformed from a military veteran to on-air personality on Fox News. His journey from conservative host to heading the Pentagon was a rocky one, however. Shortly after he was announced as a candidate for the job, controversy surrounded him. In addition to his endorsement of extremist Christian nationalist viewpoints, news emerged that he paid hush money to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. Hegseth responded by claiming he'd only paid the woman because he feared she would attempt to blackmail him over what he characterized as a consensual sexual encounter.

However, that excuse appeared dubious after the woman's 22-page police report was made public. In that report, the unidentified woman alleged that she believed something may have been slipped into her drink that made her woozy. While her memories were fuzzy, she did recall being alone in a hotel room with Hegseth and repeatedly telling him no. Ultimately, police decided not to press charges due to insufficient evidence for a prosecutor to convince a jury of Hegseth's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

That wasn't the only scandal to engulf Hegseth. There were also reports of excessive drinking, with an NBC News report interviewing numerous past and current Fox News staffers who alleged that they found his alcohol intake to be alarming. "He should not be secretary of defense," a former Fox employee told NBC News. "His drinking should be disqualifying."

Tucker Carlson wasn't the only Fox News personality caught up in lawsuits springing from false claims of election fraud. When electronic voting firm Smartmatic sued Fox News for $2.7 billion, veteran Fox Business host Lou Dobbs was identified as a chief purveyor of misinformation. Like Carlson, Dobbs also went all-in on making spurious claims of non-existent fraud being perpetrated by the company's software.

In February 2021, Fox News unceremoniously fired Dobbs. While no reason was given at the time, Dobbs' sacking came less than 24 hours after Fox News was served with Smartmatic's lawsuit. Even though Dobbs wasn't the only person under the Fox Corporation umbrella who'd been selling the fantasy of voter fraud, journalist Brian Stelter felt he was a sacrificial lamb. "I think he was partly dismissed just 'cause management had enough of him," Stelter said during an appearance on CNN. "They were just tired of his BS. But they've got a lot of other people there selling the same story."

In early 2024, Dobbs launched his own online show on a far-right website owned by MyPillow mogul Mike Lindell. The show didn't last long, and neither did Dobbs; a few months later, he was dead at age 78.

In 2020, Fox News Media employees received an email revealing that anchor Ed Henry had been shown the door. Previously, a former network employee alleged to the network that she was a victim of Henry's sexual misconduct. An investigation ensued, and Henry was out. Unlike the accusation against disgraced ex-anchor Bill O'Reilly, the network wasted little time in taking decisive action. "Ed was suspended the same day and removed from his on-air responsibilities pending investigation," the email stated. "Based on investigative findings, Ed has been terminated."

Henry later landed at Newsmax, but his accuser wasn't done accusing. In 2024, after initially suing him for sexual misconduct and rape, lawyers for former associate producer Jennifer Eckhart filed a new motion, this time claiming that Henry had sexually assaulted another female staffer — and that Henry's behavior was no secret to his bosses. Fox News was subsequently dismissed from the case; as of May 2025, the lawsuit is ongoing.

While Kimberly Guilfoyle is known as the ex-girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr. — a relationship that had plenty of red flags – she was also the wife of future California Governor Gavin Newsom and then on-air anchor at Fox News, first joining the network as a legal analyst in 2006. In 2017, Fox News Media announced in a press release that the company had entered into a "long-term deal" with Guilfoyle to remain on the panel of "The Five." "I'm excited to remain at Fox News Channel, a place I have called home for many years," she said in the release.

That deal did not last nearly as long as the phrase "long-term" would indicate. The following year, she abruptly exited Fox News, under murky circumstances. "Fox News has parted ways with Kimberly Guilfoyle," a Fox News spokesperson confirmed in a terse statement to CNN.

The real reason Guilfoyle was forced out at Fox News soon became apparent, when it was reported that her exit followed some shocking accusations of sexual harassment from her former assistant. In a subsequent exposé in the New Yorker, the ex-assistant claimed that Guilfoyle "subjected her frequently to degrading, abusive, and sexually inappropriate behavior." It was subsequently reported that Fox News paid $4 million to Guilfoyle's accuser to keep the allegations from heading to court.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).