Who were the women who accused Bill O’Reilly and what were the specifics and timelines of their allegations?

1. Who the publicly reported accusers were

News reporting identifies several named women connected to O’Reilly’s show or Fox News: Andrea Mackris (a former producer who sued in 2004), Lis Wiehl (former legal analyst who received a high-value settlement), Rebecca Gomez Diamond, Rachel Witlieb Bernstein, Juliet Huddy, and others who reached settlements or complained publicly; multiple summaries say five women received settlements totaling roughly $13 million and additional, larger settlements were reported separately ^{[6] [1] [7] [4]}.

2. Types of allegations and patterns reported

Accounts compiled by outlets and cited documents describe a pattern that included propositioning producers and guests for sex, unwelcome advances, lewd comments, threats of retaliation for refusing sexual advances, and actual retaliation in some cases; four of the five settlements reported by The New York Times involved sexual harassment specifically, and the fifth involved verbal abuse ^{[4] [7] [1]}.

3. Notable settlements and their timing

Reporting cites at least five settlements paid to women over time that together exceeded $13 million, and a separate, reported $32 million settlement to Lis Wiehl (the latter reported around early 2018 as preexisting to a new Fox contract) — these payments were central to the New York Times reporting that precipitated broader scrutiny in 2017 ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

4. Specific high-profile allegations (Lis Wiehl and Andrea Mackris)

The New York Times and subsequent coverage reported that Lis Wiehl’s claims included “repeated harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of gay pornography and other sexually explicit material” to her; lawyers differed on how the phrase “nonconsensual sexual relationship” might be interpreted in workplace-harassment terms ^{[3] [8]}. Andrea Mackris filed suit in 2004 alleging sexual harassment; that case and other legal actions were settled confidentially ^{[6] [9]}.

5. O’Reilly’s and Fox’s responses, denials and corporate context

O’Reilly publicly denied the allegations, calling actions against him a “hit job” or “completely unfounded,” and Fox initially continued to employ him until the cascade of reporting, advertiser withdrawals and disclosure of settlements led to his exit in 2017 ^{[5] [10]}. Reporting also notes that 21st Century Fox had knowledge of at least one large settlement when negotiating O’Reilly’s contract, raising questions about internal handling ^[2].

6. Legal documents, confidentiality and later disclosures

Multiple outlets highlighted that settlement agreements often included confidentiality clauses and other provisions — Vogue and New York Times reporting said some settlements required turnover of records and strict non-disclosure terms, and later litigation and reporting revealed more of the settlement landscape ^[1]. These legal limits shaped why many specifics remained private until investigative reporting surfaced them ^[1].

7. Impact, competing interpretations and limitations in the record

Reporting shows a clear impact: advertiser pullouts, public scrutiny and O’Reilly’s departure from Fox ^{[10] [11]}. At the same time, O’Reilly and his attorneys disputed the claims; some commentators framed his exit as driven by market and reputational pressures rather than admissions of wrongdoing ^{[10] [5]}. Available sources do not mention every alleged accuser by name nor provide full timelines for each allegation; many details remain confidential in settlement documents ^{[1] [4]}.

8. What the sources disagree about and what remains unclear

Sources agree that multiple settlements occurred and that allegations ranged from verbal misconduct to claims described as “nonconsensual.” They disagree, or at least offer different emphases, on interpretation: legal analysts debated whether phrases like “nonconsensual sexual relationship” signal criminal conduct or an “unwelcome” workplace relationship addressed via civil settlement ^[3]. Available sources do not mention definitive criminal charges arising from these publicized settlements ^{[3] [1]}.

Summary note: Reporting across outlets — The New York Times coverage summarized in multiple pieces and follow-up reporting in Vogue, The Guardian, TheWrap and other outlets — forms the basis for these facts; confidentiality of settlements and denials from O’Reilly mean some specifics are still withheld from public view ^{[1] [2] [5]}.