Posted on 10/15/2004 1:24:14 AM PDT by kattracks
TV host Bill O'Reilly suffered "the worst day of my life" yesterday after being thrust into a sleazy sex scandal - one so explosive, it has forced the talk-show loudmouth into silence."I have been advised to keep my big mouth shut, and I have promised to do that," O'Reilly told the Daily News from his Fox News studio yesterday.
But he didn't.
"This has been the worst day of my life," O'Reilly said. "I am getting hounded by the press, and I knew I would be. I knew that they were going to kill me, but what am I going to do?"
O'Reilly, 55, was accused Wednesday of making "disgusting" phone calls and remarks to Andrea Mackris, 33, an associate producer on the hugely popular Fox show "The O'Reilly Factor."
Hours before Mackris sued him, O'Reilly, a married father of two who lives on Long Island, struck the first blow - filing his own lawsuit claiming that Mackris and her lawyer, Benedict Morelli, tried to extort $60 million from him and Fox News to buy her silence.
And he used the airwaves to tell his 3 million viewers, "These people picked the wrong guy."
But neither Morelli nor Mackris was backing down yesterday.
"This is a man who went on TV and said, 'They don't know what kind of guy they're messing with.' When somebody says something like that, I take it as a threat against me, my family, my client and her family," Morelli said.
He then raised the stakes, suggesting the scandal could destroy O'Reilly's career.
"They have made it personal. When this case is dismissed, not only are they going to be embarrassed, but they are going to see who is left standing. I think this can bring O'Reilly down."
Mackris claimed O'Reilly, a best-selling author and writer, started making sexual comments to her after she split with her fiancé in 2001. The situation worsened after she returned to Fox following a brief stint working for CNN earlier this year, she said.
Closely guarded by her lawyer, Mackris appeared on NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Good Morning America" yesterday.
"I felt extremely threatened for many reasons," she said.
"There were definitely threats. It crossed the line when I ... came back [to Fox] in July. It went much further than it ever had.
"The language was ratcheted up. He pushed the boundaries further and further from what I had already established. I came back because he agreed to not ever talk to me that way again."
Her lawyer said, "She really didn't feel she had to do something until she returned from CNN. It started in 2002, but when she returned from CNN it started crossing the line, and it wasn't until then she said, 'My God, I have got to do something about it.'"
O'Reilly's alleged remarks included telling Mackris she should use a vibrator and regaling her with tales of threesomes with Swedish stewardesses and stories of his "amazing" endowment.
Mackris claims he made three lewd phone calls to her since August in which he described fantasies involving her and sex acts he would perform on her.
She said he was clearly pleasuring himself as he spoke.
When Mackris pointed out to O'Reilly that he was her boss, she claims he replied, "You just have to suspend that."
O'Reilly characterized Mackris' allegations as "outrageous and I've got to take action. I don't know what [Mackris] is talking about."
Asked what his wife thinks of the accusations, O'Reilly said, "We don't talk about any of this. It's nothing to do with me - it's with the lawyers."
O'Reilly's lawyer, Ronald Green, said Wednesday he intended to file papers demanding that evidence - including possible tape recordings of the alleged sex calls - be made public. He was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Morelli refused to confirm whether he had tape recordings, saying only, "We have concrete and unrefutable evidence that [O'Reilly] did it."
The scandal apparently has had no effect on O'Reilly's syndicated newspaper column, featured in 300 publications, including the Daily News. None had canceled by last night, said the syndicate's president, Rick Newcombe.
And O'Reilly said his program was being broadcast every weeknight as usual.
He also kept the support of many of his neighbors in Plandome, L.I.
Bill Georgas, 42, co-owner of Louie's Manhasset Restaurant, where O'Reilly is a regular, said, "He's always been a gentleman.
"I don't see that man they're talking about in the news."
With Laura Williams
Originally published on October 15, 2004
Take it for what it's worth, but Bo Dietl called in to Imus this morning, and said his company (a corporate security firm) has had dealings with this Morelli character in the past, and Bo strongly intimated that Morelli is a major sleaze who (if I heard it correctly) attempted something with one of Bo's clients similar to what he's now trying to do to O'Reilly. Unfortunately, Imus cut Bo off before we could get any details, because Imus got mad that Bo wouldn't stop talking when he wanted to get a word in.
He may well be. It's too bad if he is because he's always defending family values. I hope he's not a hypocrite in that area. I feel for his family throughout all this. I really hope he's not guilty.
A prudent person might assume it's because they (can). Some are on those roller-coaster power trips and feel superior to other people. The best bottom-line would be they are crude, rude and socially unacceptable. I now take my bow and step off the soap-box.Bush/Cheney2004
Good Ya! Enlightenment is the key to hold the commies at bay. O'Reilly is just an idiot with a attitude problem.(Liberalogism) Bush/Cheney 2004 Let's Roll!!
I partially heard it. My mind wasn't on it as it should have been. I've been reading the reports on what he said to her, posted here. I hope it's not true. She doesn't seem to be terribly stable. It all looks so suspicious, just before elections, etc. I hope it turns out okay.
It the big mouth Mr. O'R did this, then those obscene phone calls should have been reported to the Phone Co and police who could then have ordered taps and apart from a deep pockets law suit, this could send you know who to jail.
When I was the victim of sleezy phone calls from someone I did not know those were the steps I took..I called the police first. They came to my apt, took a report and we were getting the phone co involved to track calls (this was before caller ID days) and lucky for me the calls stopped..think the perp saw the cops...but to just go for deep pockets..I don't know,,,
Just had another thought...while not a fan of O'R...just suppose this is not a harassment case but a case of Woman Scorned....say SHE made the play had he rebuked her as only he could do..so she gets even? Maybe she has someone who is a good mimic do his voice....
Maybe BOR can get some favorable pub out of his good buddy, Dan Rather.
See? I knew it wasn't just me! She is butt-ugly. Thank you!
Is it just my imagination or does it seem that its always the ugly chics that get harrassed?
I'm feeling left out ; ) [snicker]
Or that think they're being harrassed, or allow themselves to be used by sleazy Mob attorneys in a political vendetta.
I don't believe this accusation for one minute. If there are tapes, the reason they're not being played is because Mackris was the aggressor, she initiated the phone sex, and she came back from CNN for more fun. Then, she decided, after having watched her boss at CNN cough up some cash for sexual harrassment, she could get set for life by threatening O'Reilly for $60 million.
If she were serious, Mackris would never have asked for that ridiculous figure.
Sure, I believe that.
How do you know her lawyers demanded that much? Because O'Reilley says so? How do you know O'Reilly is telling the truth?
Is it me, or does this chicklet look sortof like a slimmer version of Lewinski? I'm wondering, if this is true, if BOR is having some delusions about being like klintoon...
It does seem that way. Maybe attractive women know how to deal with moronic sexual advances?
I so do NOT believe this woman. Regardless of how anyone feels about O'Reilly - her story and this lawsuit stink..She lost ALL credibility after the following was revealed:
1. She ASKED to come back to work for O'Reilly after she left to go to CNN
2.She never made a complaint to Human Resources at FOX about the alleged harassement.
I also read that she left CNN due to similar circumstances.
I think this girl has burned some bridges in her field and is looking for a big payday. I also believe that a connected Dem has made her believe that bringing suit against O'Reilly is a good thing and is financially back it.
Even if O'Reilly is the biggest dog at Fox (and he may be) - why did she continue to work for him? Why did she COME BACK to work for him? 60 million is a ridiculous amount of $$ and I would place a healthy bet that this entire suit has DNC money backing it. This is POLITICAL pure and simple.
I only read a very small part of the transcript myself, but heard more on Glenn Beck this morning. It seems pretty clear that this woman put up some protest to his words (if the words are true) but kept agreeing to go out to dinner with him.
I wouldn't convict him a sexual harrassment and the woman out to be slapped by every real woman in the universe (just for playing into stupid female/tease stereotypes). But he should never have said those things. His poor wife!
Fame and fortune seem to put people out of touch with reality -- they think they can say or do anything they want and not be held accountable.
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