Roger Ailes, the former CEO of Fox News, has died. He was 77.
According to NBC News’ Gabriel Sherman, Ailes died from complications from a blood clot, which was the result of a bad fall taken in Palm Beach, Fla. just days prior. His wife, Elizabeth Ailes, released the following statement to The Drudge Report:
I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning. Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many. He was also a patriot, profoundly grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise—and to give back. During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life…
Ailes resigned from his post at Fox News last July after former Fox and Friends and The Real Story anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her ex-boss. (21st Century Fox eventually agreed to settle with Carlson for a staggering $20 million.) Reports later surfaced that Megyn Kelly (who has since left Fox News to host a newsmagazine on NBC) had told 21st Century Fox’s independent investigators that Ailes had also made unwanted sexual advances toward her when she was a young correspondent.
RELATED STORIES
Once a media consultant for Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Ailes became the founding CEO of Fox News in October 1996. He was additionally named chairman of Fox Television Stations Group in 2005.
Watch video of Fox News first reporting Ailes’ death on Fox and Friends:
Fox News didn’t even get the scoop on the death of Roger Ailes, the founder of their own network. pic.twitter.com/TVapMEZMUP
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) May 18, 2017
