Fox News Suspends Eric Bolling Over Sexual Harassment Claims

Network struggles with another scandal after Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly exits.

August 6, 2017 9:46 am
Eric Bolling/ Fox News
Eric Bolling sits on the panel of Fox News Channel's 'The Five' in January. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

It’s not a re-run.

Fox News suspended host Eric Bolling in the wake of an explosive report that female colleagues have accused the former commodities trader of texting them a lewd photo.

What makes the budding scandal even more damaging to the news network is that Bolling had been getting increased airtime in recent months as a potential replacement for Bill O’Reilly — who was ousted earlier this year in a separate sexual harassment probe.

“Eric Bolling has been suspended pending the results of an investigation, which is currently underway,” a Fox News rep said in a statement.

The suspension comes after The HuffPost first reported that two women who worked with Bolling at Fox Business and a third female at Fox News claimed he sent them an unsolicited photo of male genitalia.

The message, which was sent several years ago, was confirmed to the outlet by a dozen sources.

It’s the latest in a disturbing succession of sexual harassment scandals which first came to light when then-CEO Ailes was accused of misconduct by former anchor Gretchen Carlson in 2016. Ailes, who died earlier this year, denied the accusations of Carlson and several other women who stepped forward, but was forced out after an investigation.

Then O’Reilly, the network’s biggest star, was ousted in April over separate sexual harassment allegations leveled at him. Co-president Bill Shine left Fox News a month later amid the fallout.

Just last month, Fox Business Network suspended anchor Charles Payne over yet another batch of sexual harassment allegations.

Bolling has been a budding star for Fox News since a popular run as co-host on The Five. He currently hosts Cashing In’ for the network.

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