The abrupt departure of Kimberly Guilfoyle from Fox News in July 2018, several years before her contract’s scheduled expiration, has long been a subject of speculation and media reports. While Ms. Guilfoyle, now a prominent figure in the Trump campaign, publicly maintained that her decision to transition from television news to political activism was entirely voluntary, new details have emerged challenging this narrative.
Confidential documents and corroborating accounts suggest a different reality: that Fox News compelled her exit following serious allegations of misconduct. These claims, primarily from a former assistant, paint a picture of a workplace environment fraught with inappropriate behavior, leading to an extensive internal investigation and a significant financial settlement.
At the heart of the matter is a confidential, forty-two-page draft complaint sent to Fox News executives in November 2018 by a young woman who had served as one of Ms. Guilfoyle’s assistants. This detailed document accused Ms. Guilfoyle of repeated sexual harassment and, equally disturbing, of attempting to silence her through monetary offers.
The revelations from this draft complaint, which was never formally filed in court and remains protected by a nondisclosure agreement, underscore the gravity of the accusations. To avoid a protracted legal battle, Fox News reportedly agreed to an out-of-court settlement, paying the woman upward of four million dollars.
This multimillion-dollar payout, as reported by well-informed sources, signals the network’s significant effort to contain the fallout from these serious allegations. The former assistant, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, has maintained her privacy, electing not to comment publicly on the matter.
Ms. Guilfoyle’s journey to becoming a central figure in President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign is notable. As the campaign’s finance chair and the girlfriend of Donald Trump, Jr., she has been positioned as a key emissary, particularly in addressing what a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll identified as a daunting thirty-percentage-point gender gap favoring Joe Biden among female voters.
She has been prominently showcased, delivering an opening-night speaking slot at the Republican National Convention and embarking on the “Four More Tour” as a Trump surrogate. During a “Women for Trump” rally in Pennsylvania, Ms. Guilfoyle claimed the President was creating “eighteen hundred new female-owned businesses in the United States a day” and lauded his promotion of school choice, a cause she aligned with her experience as a “single mother like myself.
Prior to her political pivot, Ms. Guilfoyle was a well-known personality at Fox News, having joined in 2006. Her background as a former prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles facilitated her rise, initially as a legal analyst, then as a regular contributor to programs like “Hannity” and “Fox and Friends.
Her articulate commentary and conservative viewpoints quickly cemented her status as a prominent figure, culminating in her co-hosting role on “The Five” from 2011 to 2018. During her seven-year tenure on the popular roundtable discussion show, Ms. Guilfoyle became a familiar face to millions of viewers, with her sharp legal mind and assertive debating style making her a standout personality.
However, behind the public persona, a different set of claims began to emerge, eventually leading to her abrupt departure. Reports of workplace impropriety, including allegations of displaying lewd pictures of male genitalia to colleagues, initially surfaced, though detailed specifics remained scarce.
Ms. Guilfoyle has consistently denied any wrongdoing, with her lawyer asserting that “any suggestion” she had “engaged in misconduct at Fox is patently false.” Her own statement to The New Yorker affirmed, “In my 30-year career working for the SF District Attorney’s Office, the LA District Attorney’s Office, in media and in politics, I have never engaged in any workplace misconduct of any kind. During my career, I have served as a mentor to countless women, with many of whom I remain exceptionally close to this day.”
Yet, the extensive draft complaint from her former assistant detailed a pattern of “degrading, abusive, and sexually inappropriate behavior.” Among the specific allegations were claims that Ms. Guilfoyle frequently required the assistant to work at her New York apartment while displaying herself naked, and that she was shown photographs of the genitalia of men with whom Ms. Guilfoyle had had sexual relations.
The complaint further alleged that Ms. Guilfoyle spoke “incessantly and luridly about her sex life.” Other disturbing instances cited include a demand for a massage of her bare thighs, encouragement to submit to another Fox employee’s demands for sexual favors, and suggestions to sleep with wealthy and powerful men.
The assistant also claimed that Ms. Guilfoyle asked her to critique her naked body, demanded she share a room on business trips, required sleepovers at her apartment, and consistently exposed herself, causing deep discomfort. These accounts collectively describe a deeply unsettling and hostile work environment.
Equally troubling were the allegations of a concerted effort by Ms. Guilfoyle to orchestrate a cover-up. In August 2017, during a phone call, the assistant claimed Ms. Guilfoyle attempted to buy her silence, offering a payment if she agreed to mislead the Paul, Weiss lawyers investigating sexual misconduct at the network.
Paul, Weiss had been hired by Fox in July 2016, specifically to investigate widespread sexual misconduct under the leadership of Roger Ailes. The assistant alleged that Ms. Guilfoyle, recognizing the inevitability of scrutiny on her own conduct as the investigation into Eric Bolling (with whom she shared the assistant) gained momentum, sought to control the narrative.
Ms. Guilfoyle allegedly told the assistant that, in exchange for what she termed “loyalty,” she would “work out a payment to take care of her.” Sums as significant as a million dollars were mentioned, along with other inducements such as a private-plane trip to Rome, a percentage of future speaking fees, and even an on-air reporting opportunity.
When the assistant declined these offers, Ms. Guilfoyle allegedly issued a veiled threat. The assistant regarded it as a warning that if she spoke candidly to the lawyers, certain aspects of her private life known to Ms. Guilfoyle might be exposed. This coercive tactic further intensified the alleged pressure on the assistant.
Individuals close to Ms. Guilfoyle have vehemently denied these allegations, expressing shock that such claims would be fabricated. However, a well-informed source independently corroborated that Ms. Guilfoyle had indeed discussed the topic of raising “hush money.”
Despite the alleged attempts to secure her silence, the assistant refused to conceal evidence or fabricate stories. Instead, she courageously reported to the Paul, Weiss legal team that both Ms. Guilfoyle and Mr. Bolling had sexually harassed her, leading to concerns about potential retaliation from Ms. Guilfoyle, who reportedly boasted of high-level connections within Fox.
These allegations triggered a comprehensive, months-long investigation by Fox’s human-resources department. The findings of this internal probe ultimately led to Ms. Guilfoyle’s negotiated departure from the company, confirming that her exit was not, as she stated, voluntary.
The news of Ms. Guilfoyle’s forced exit was initially reported by HuffPost in 2018, which indicated that Fox had quietly pushed her out after an internal investigation revealed disturbing allegations from co-workers, including her assistant. The report noted Ms. Guilfoyle’s denials and her unsuccessful attempt, supported by allies, to appeal to Rupert Murdoch, then the executive chairman of 21st Century Fox.
Crucially, it was reportedly Rupert Murdoch’s sons, Lachlan and James, then senior executives in the company, who persuaded their father that “such misconduct could no longer be tolerated.” This intervention, following decades of alleged sexual harassment within Fox News, signifies a pivotal shift in the network’s stance on workplace behavior and indirectly supports the basis of Ms. Guilfoyle’s departure.
A source familiar with the situation confirmed that the assistant’s “confidential statements were foundational to Fox’s decision to part ways with Guilfoyle.” This underscores the weight given to the assistant’s testimony during the internal investigation, which was overseen by Michele Hirshman, a partner at Paul, Weiss, who declined to comment on the matter.
While Ms. Guilfoyle and her legal team have maintained a consistent stance of denial, a report by The New Yorker offered independent corroboration of several key accusations. This corroboration came from multiple confidants of the assistant and current and former Fox employees.
One eyewitness, for instance, substantiated the claim that the assistant was required to work at Ms. Guilfoyle’s apartment while the Fox host was “barely clothed or naked,” recalling it as “provocative in a way that made you want to get away from this person.” This account adds a vivid and disturbing layer to the allegations.
Furthermore, both a current and a former Fox employee confirmed the assistant’s allegation that Ms. Guilfoyle frequently shared lewd images, noting that she had also shown photographs of male genitalia—some of romantic partners, others of fans—to them. Another former employee recounted Ms. Guilfoyle showing pornographic videos in the office, adding to the pattern of inappropriate conduct.
Ms. Guilfoyle’s graphic sexual talk reportedly caused such distress among hair-and-makeup artists at Fox that they lodged an internal complaint, prompting a company investigation. One former Fox colleague, who had been friendly with Ms. Guilfoyle, characterized the behavior as “worse than gross” and something that “put other women at Fox in such a terrible position.”
This colleague explained that, at a junior level, there was fear of criticizing Ms. Guilfoyle, who was perceived as a powerful star with high-ranking friends. The environment fostered a difficult dilemma: complicity in behavior regarded as crude and unprofessional, or risking career repercussions. This created an atmosphere described as “detrimental to young women.”
Another confidant of the former assistant, who also knows Ms. Guilfoyle well, agreed that the assistant “was put through a wringer,” calling it a “justifiable complaint” and a “hostile workplace.” One former Fox colleague who observed the dynamic characterized it as “an insane, abusive relationship,” adding, “Rather than being a mentor, she was an afflictor.”
A close observer who remains at Fox described the assistant as “one of the nicest, hard-working people—she was young and full of ambition, but by the time she left, she was just broken.” These perspectives offer a stark contrast to Ms. Guilfoyle’s self-portrayal as a mentor to countless women.
Paradoxically, Ms. Guilfoyle was tapped by Fox News as an on-air expert on legal issues, including sexual harassment, during the height of the #MeToo movement. Drawing on her background as a prosecutor, she spoke forcefully about cases like Harvey Weinstein’s and moderated discussions on figures such as Charlie Rose.
During these discussions, Ms. Guilfoyle presented herself as a champion of women’s rights, emphasizing the importance of “the victims” and speaking from her purported experience with victims of “sex-abuse crimes.” She expressed sympathy for victims who feared coming forward due to lack of “economic power” or the desire “to get a chance” in their chosen industry.
However, the assistant’s draft complaint and her accounts to confidants alleged that Ms. Guilfoyle actively contributed to, and even defended, the sexually hostile work environment at Fox News. She reportedly dismissed the assistant’s complaints about harassment, discouraged her from speaking to human resources, and even claimed to have had sexual encounters with powerful figures at Fox herself.
This alleged behavior aligns with what a former Fox News colleague described as the operating mode of “many powerful male Fox employees before 2016.” This was the period before Gretchen Carlson’s lawsuit against Roger Ailes exposed a deeply entrenched, sexually predatory culture at the network, leading to the downfall of both Ailes and star host Bill O’Reilly.
“Kim was kind of like one of the guys, the way they used to operate,” the former colleague observed. Another former co-worker recalled, “It was always about sex and guys with her. She didn’t hide it—she’d almost flaunt it. She probably wasn’t aware of others’ feelings. It was a different time.”
Moreover, before her public defense of President Trump, Ms. Guilfoyle was a vocal defender of Roger Ailes. When Gretchen Carlson sued Ailes, Ms. Guilfoyle actively attempted to discredit her, telling Adweek that she had spoken with over thirty women at Fox and that “Nobody that I’ve spoken to said that this was their experience.”
Just two months before Fox settled with Ms. Carlson for twenty million dollars, Ms. Guilfoyle gave an interview to Breitbart, vouching for Ailes’s “character, integrity, and credibility.” She stated, “I’ve known the man very well for the last 15 years. He’s someone whom I admire greatly,” and praised him as “a champion of women” who was “always 100 percent professional.”
Reports suggest Ms. Guilfoyle even led a public-relations campaign, coordinated with Ailes, implying to women at Fox that their careers would suffer if they did not support him. According to a complaint filed by former Fox News contributor Julie Roginsky, Ms. Guilfoyle “sought to recruit Fox News employees and contributors to retaliate against Carlson by publicly disparaging her.”
This “retaliatory onslaught,” characterized as “supporting ‘Team Roger,’” included Ms. Guilfoyle warning female colleagues, “I’m taking notes.” Brian Stelter’s book “Hoax” suggests her motivation stemmed from a belief that Ailes, seemingly all-powerful, would reward her with her own show.
One former Fox colleague corroborated this intimidation tactic: “It was ‘Pick your team now—and if you don’t back Roger, you will be out of here fast. There will be retribution.’” Once Ailes was removed, Ms. Guilfoyle’s position at Fox became less secure, with even her allies acknowledging that his public disgrace put her in a difficult spot.
Despite her record at Fox, Ms. Guilfoyle quickly transitioned to the Trump campaign following her July 2018 departure. She initially joined as vice-chair of America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, and by last December, at the President’s reported request, became the head of fundraising for Trump Victory, his main campaign organization.
Her post-Fox career has not been without its own controversies. In March, an opulent fifty-first-birthday party for Ms. Guilfoyle at Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago Club was reportedly paid for, in part, by campaign donors, drawing criticism. She and her staff’s use of private jets has also garnered negative press.
Nevertheless, Ms. Guilfoyle’s proximity to the Trump family, cemented by her relationship with Donald Trump Jr., has allowed her to flaunt an image as a Trump world insider. She frequently posts glamorous photos of herself and the President’s son on social media, including from the White House, and the couple reportedly purchased a $4.4-million beach house together in the Hamptons.
Her prominent speaking slot at the Republican National Convention, where her “jarringly loud” delivery garnered significant attention, underscored her elevated status. President Trump reportedly praised it as one of the “greatest” speeches he had ever witnessed, commending its “so much energy.”
Ms. Guilfoyle’s name has even been floated for a major post after the election, with reports from Business Insider indicating she is under consideration to replace Ronna Romney McDaniel as the chair of the Republican National Committee.
Ordinarily, allegations of such a nature, particularly involving sexual harassment and attempts to silence accusers, would likely be disqualifying for someone seeking a prominent role in the political arena. This is especially true for a party endeavoring to bridge a significant gender gap.
However, high-profile female Trump supporters like Ms. Guilfoyle arguably serve a unique purpose for the President. As Susan Faludi, the feminist author, observes, “From Amy Coney Barrett to Betsy DeVos to Kimberly Guilfoyle, every woman Trump picks is an emblem of everything women are up against.”
Kimberly Guilfoyle’s journey, from a prosecutor to a television host, then to a political operative, has been marked by both professional ascent and persistent, serious allegations regarding her workplace conduct. The narrative surrounding her departure from Fox News, now bolstered by revelations of a multimillion-dollar settlement and the explicit stance taken by Rupert Murdoch’s sons, brings into sharp focus the ongoing challenges of accountability in powerful institutions.
As Ms. Guilfoyle continues to play a pivotal role in national politics, the questions raised by these detailed accusations and the subsequent actions of Fox News underscore the enduring scrutiny faced by public figures. This complex interplay of power, public image, and private conduct remains a significant aspect of contemporary public discourse, inviting continued examination of the standards applied to those in positions of influence.”
