CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Reflects on Interactions With ‘Fear-Inducing Wizard’ Roger Ailes After Watching New Movie Bombshell

CNN anchor and former Fox News personality Alisyn Camerota is out with a new piece reflecting on her interactions with former Fox chief Roger Ailes.

The Vanity Fair article coincides with the release of the new film Bombshell, which dramatizes the events leading up a number of current and former Fox employees speaking up about getting sexually harassed by Ailes.

Ailes was forced out of Fox in 2016 amid the scandal and he died in 2017.

Camerota includes a number of nauseating details, including her first meeting with Ailes whom she describes as a “fear-inducing wizard” and apparently “omnipotent.”

Roger gave me a penetrating stare, then grinned. “I like this little number you’re wearing,” he said, pausing to let his words hang. “Stand up,” he commanded. “Give me a spin. Let me look at you.”

Surprised, I obeyed.

“You need some bronzer on your legs,” he said, sizing me up. “They’re too white.”

Sometimes it was hard to tell if Roger was joking.

“And, your skirt should be a little shorter.”

At that, I cocked my head. This would not be the only time in Roger’s office when I would have to suppress my fight or flight reflex.

“Listen,” he said, his eyes softening, “we’ve got research showing ratings go up two-tenths of a point for every two inches higher the skirt. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to program TV. If you’re going to be successful and get what you want, you’ll have to trust me. Can you do that?”

“I think so,” I said.

“Good,” he said. “Let’s see if you have what it takes to be a star.” He stood up. “Come back next time and we’ll get to work.”

She also recalled a conversation they had over Gretchen Carlson — the then-Fox & Friends co-host who later came forward with sexual harassment claims against Ailes — in which, as Camerota writes, Ailes said, “Gretchen has a vacation coming up. I’d like to put you in for her. See how you do in the ratings. If you beat her, I’ll tear up your contract and pay you five times what you’re making. Would you like that?”

Camerota writes she lied and said “sure.” He apparently responded, “Now, all you have to do is kill Gretchen.”

“In the ratings, right?” Camerota recalls asking.

She says he answered, “Let’s start by killing her in the ratings. Then we’ll see what happens.”

You can read the full piece here.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2YKzGxX