Who were the named women who publicly accused Bill O’Reilly of sexual harassment or misconduct, and what did each allege?
Executive summary
Multiple news reports and court filings name at least seven women who publicly accused Bill O’Reilly of sexual harassment or related misconduct in reporting that prompted Fox News settlements and litigation: Rachel Witlieb Bernstein, Andrea Mackris, Rebecca Gomez Diamond, Laurie Dhue, Juliet Huddy, Lis Wiehl, and Andrea Tantaros (reporting lists vary by outlet) [1] [2] [3]. Allegations across those accounts include unwanted advances and propositions, lewd comments, threats or retaliation when advances were rebuffed, verbal abuse, a claimed “nonconsensual sexual relationship,” and the sending of explicit material; some matters were settled for millions of dollars and some resulted in lawsuits or public denials [4] [5] [3] [6].
1. Who the reporting names — basic roll call
Major coverage summarized by People and other outlets lists Rachel Witlieb Bernstein and Andrea Mackris (both former producers), and Rebecca Gomez Diamond, Laurie Dhue, and Juliet Huddy (former on‑air personalities) as the five women named in The New York Times report that triggered advertiser withdrawals and O’Reilly’s exit from Fox [1] [5]. Subsequent reporting and court filings have added Lis Wiehl and Andrea Tantaros among high‑profile figures associated with allegations or suits involving O’Reilly and Fox News [2] [3].
2. Andrea Mackris — producer who sued and was countersued
Andrea Mackris, a former producer, filed a sexual‑harassment suit that became widely publicized; O’Reilly at one point sued her alleging extortion. The matter was settled confidentially, and reporting shows the Mackris case was among the settlements that fed the broader narrative of repeated propositions and threats described by accusers [7] [6].
3. Rachel Witlieb Bernstein — producer described in Times reporting
Rachel Witlieb Bernstein is identified by The New York Times coverage (as summarized by People and other outlets) as one of the producers who received payment in agreements tied to complaints about O’Reilly; reporting groups her with the five women paid to keep claims private, although some descriptions note her claim concerned verbal abuse rather than sexual‑harassment language used for others [1] [5].
4. Rebecca Gomez Diamond, Laurie Dhue, Juliet Huddy — on‑air personalities
Rebecca Gomez Diamond and Laurie Dhue were reported to have settled sexual‑harassment claims with Fox in 2011 and 2016 respectively, and Juliet Huddy’s complaint alleged pursuit of a romantic relationship and lewd remarks; Fox paid or arranged settlements in some of these matters, according to contemporaneous coverage [2] [6].
5. Lis Wiehl — “nonconsensual sexual relationship” and explicit material allegation
The New York Times and follow‑up reporting singled out Lis Wiehl, a former legal analyst, whose reported claims included “repeated harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of gay pornography and other sexually explicit material” to her; TheWrap explains how those descriptions fed legal and public questions about whether an alleged relationship was “nonconsensual” in the workplace sense rather than an allegation of criminal sexual assault [3] [6].
6. Andrea Tantaros — lawsuit against Fox mentioning O’Reilly
Andrea Tantaros filed a sexual‑harassment lawsuit against Fox in 2016 that included claims O’Reilly made sexually suggestive comments to her; a federal judge later dismissed that lawsuit in 2018, describing many of the allegations as “primarily based on speculation and conjecture” in his ruling [2].
7. Nature of allegations reported — patterns and differences
Across the accounts cited, allegations range from propositions, unwelcome advances, lewd comments and verbal abuse, to threats or retaliation when women declined advances, and — in Wiehl’s description — a “nonconsensual sexual relationship” and explicit material being sent; reporting also documents multiple confidential settlements and large aggregate sums paid by Fox/O’Reilly as part of resolving some claims [4] [5] [3] [6].
8. Settlements, disclosure and denials
News outlets have reported millions in settlements tied to O’Reilly — estimates in various pieces range widely, with some reporting roughly $13 million paid to five women and other coverage referencing larger totals and a $32 million figure tied to a major settlement — while O’Reilly has publicly denied wrongdoing and characterized the reporting as a “hit job” [5] [8] [9]. A judge later ordered disclosure of certain settlement agreements, a development described as pointing to possible cover‑up evidence in the network context [10].
9. Limitations, competing viewpoints and what reporting does not say
Available sources do not provide full text of most settlement agreements in the materials supplied here; some items were confidential, and O’Reilly and his representatives have both denied misconduct and contested particular characterizations — for example, O’Reilly’s public denials are recorded in a 2017 interview [9], and court rulings have at times dismissed or criticized aspects of plaintiffs’ claims [2]. Also, not every named woman’s precise allegations are presented in identical legal terms across sources; coverage mixes journalistic summaries, descriptions from court papers, and statements from the parties [6] [3].
10. Bottom line for readers
Reporting across The New York Times, People, TheWrap and other outlets (as gathered here) names multiple women who accused Bill O’Reilly of workplace sexual harassment, unwanted advances, lewd comments, retaliation, verbal abuse, and — in at least one account — a “nonconsensual sexual relationship,” and documents significant settlement payments and litigation around those claims; O’Reilly has denied the allegations and some lawsuits were dismissed or contested in court [1] [3] [10].