James Murdoch Says Size of O’Reilly Settlement Was ‘News to Me’

James Murdoch Says Size of O’Reilly Settlement Was ‘News to Me’
James Murdoch, the chief executive of 21st Century Fox, on Wednesday defended how the company responded to sexual harassment allegations against the former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, stating
that he did not know the size of Mr. O’Reilly’s $32 million settlement until recently.
When asked about whether the disclosure of Mr. O’Reilly’s $32 million settlement and his subsequent four-year contract worth $25 million a year posed a challenge to efforts to change the culture at Fox News in the wake of sexual harassment scandals at the network, Mr. Murdoch said
that the critical question is how the company responds to claims.
You do the best job you can with that, and you try to make the right decision.”
In response to questions from The Times, 21st Century Fox has previously acknowledged
that it was aware of the woman’s allegations against Mr. O’Reilly — which included harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of pornography — and that a settlement had been reached.
It was the first time that Mr. Murdoch had publicly addressed the controversy since reported over the weekend
that the company had granted Mr. O’Reilly a contract extension the month after he agreed to the settlement with a longtime Fox News legal analyst.
“The settlement wasn’t a company settlement, and that was news to me when we saw the number the other day,”
Mr. Murdoch said, speaking at the Paley International Council Summit, a media conference, in New York.
At the time, the company was aware of at least six settlements involving harassment allegations against Mr. O’Reilly.