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How many women won lawsuits for sexual harassment against bill oreilly
Executive summary
Reporting from 2017–2018 shows Bill O’Reilly and/or Fox News reached at least five settlements with women over sexual-harassment or related claims totaling about $13 million, and later reporting uncovered a sixth, much larger $32 million settlement—bringing press tallies to six women and roughly $45 million in reported payouts (five settlements ≈ $13M; a sixth $32M) [1] [2] [3].
1. What the basic reporting shows: five known settlements, then a sixth
Initial New York Times-based coverage in April 2017 reported that O’Reilly and Fox had paid roughly $13 million to settle claims from five women dating back to 2002–2016; Reuters summarized that reporting, noting five women received settlements totaling about $13 million [1]. Subsequent reporting in late 2017 and early 2018 revealed an additional, previously undisclosed $32 million settlement reached in January of that year, which press outlets said raised the count to at least six women and pushed reported total payouts far higher [2] [3].
2. Who the women are, and what the documents say (as reported)
Named accusers in the earlier reporting included Andrea Mackris, Rebecca Gomez Diamond, Laurie Dhue, Juliet Huddy and Rachel Witlieb Bernstein; the Times-based accounts said those five either worked for O’Reilly or appeared on his show and had received settlements [4] [1]. Newer reporting identified Lis Wiehl as the plaintiff in the six-figure $32 million agreement and described allegations ranging from “repeated harassment” to a “nonconsensual sexual relationship,” according to sources cited by TheWrap and The Guardian [5] [2].
3. Known settlement amounts flagged in coverage
The April 2017 coverage cited the $13 million figure for the five settlements, with Andrea Mackris’s 2004 settlement reported at about $9 million in several outlets [1] [6]. The later-disclosed sixth settlement was reported at $32 million; combined press tallies (five settlements ≈ $13M plus $32M) produced headlines noting roughly $45 million paid or arranged [3] [6].
4. Did any of the women “win” lawsuits in court?
Available sources emphasize settlements rather than trial verdicts: reporting describes payouts and confidentiality agreements reached to resolve claims, not jury findings or judicial rulings in favor of plaintiffs. The articles detail negotiated settlements and a judge’s decision to make some settlement documents public, but they do not report jury verdicts awarding damages after full trials in these sexual‑harassment cases [6] [1]. Therefore, sources do not support a count of women who “won” lawsuits at trial; instead they document women who received settlement payments [1] [6].
5. Why settlements matter but don’t equal legal “victories” in court
Journalistic coverage underscores that settlements are private resolutions that can include nondisclosure terms and do not equate to court findings of liability. Reporting on the redacted settlements revealed clauses that silenced accusers and required certain conduct, which highlights how settlements can resolve disputes without public judicial adjudication [6] [3].
6. Disagreements, uncertainties and limits in the record
Different outlets framed the totals differently: some cited “five settlements totaling about $13 million” [1], others later reported “at least six” settlements and roughly $45 million in combined reported payouts [3] [2]. The identity and exact terms of settlement agreements have been subject to confidentiality, sealed documents, and later unsealing actions—so press tallies have shifted as new documents emerged [6]. Available sources do not establish every plaintiff’s name or every contractual term; they also do not report trial verdicts for these harassment claims [6] [1].
7. Broader context and why this moved public opinion and corporate action
Coverage linked these settlements to a broader reckoning at Fox News following other high‑profile suits (for example, Gretchen Carlson’s $20 million settlement with Fox that preceded renewed scrutiny), and to advertiser pullbacks and internal reviews; outlets noted corporate awareness of some settlements when negotiating contracts and the reputational fallout that followed [1] [2].
8. Bottom line for your original question
If your question asks how many women “won lawsuits” in the sense of obtaining favorable court judgments, available reporting documents negotiated settlements rather than trial wins; press accounts identify five women receiving about $13 million in settlements by April 2017 and later reporting adds a sixth high‑value settlement of $32 million—commonly summarized as six women with approximately $45 million in reported payouts [1] [2] [3].