Fox News anchor Ed Henry fired after sexual misconduct investigation
Fox News anchor Ed Henry has been fired after an investigation into an allegation of “willful sexual misconduct” leveled last week by a former employee, according to an internal memo from the network’s leadership.
In a companywide message sent Wednesday morning, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace said they “received a complaint” about Henry last Thursday from the former employee’s attorney “involving willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago.”
Scott and Wallace said they “immediately retained an outside law firm” which had never represented the network in any prior investigations or litigation “to independently investigate” the accusations.
“Ed was suspended the same day and removed from his on-air responsibilities pending investigation,” Scott and Wallace said. “Based on investigative findings, Ed has been terminated.”
Henry, Fox News’ former chief White House correspondent, most recently served as co-anchor of the three-hour, weekday news program “America’s Newsroom,” reporting alongside Sandra Smith from 9 a.m. to noon EDT.
Henry took over that role in January from Bill Hemmer, who went on to host his own signature, hourlong news show in the 3 p.m. time slot previously occupied by Shepard Smith, who abruptly resigned from the network last October.
Trace Gallagher had been filling in for Henry in recent days, and Scott and Wallace said rotating news anchors will co-anchor with Smith “until a permanent replacement is named” for Henry.
Smith acknowledged Henry’s firing on Wednesday’s episode of “America’s Newsroom.”
“A moment now for some news about the co-anchor of this program, Ed Henry,” she said. “After a recent claim and investigation involving sexual misconduct in the workplace, Ed has been terminated from Fox News.”
Smith added that Scott and Wallace, in their internal memo, “addressed this very serious issue in an effort to bring full transparency to it and emphasize that we will continue to strive to maintain a safe and inclusive workplace for all employees.”
Henry is the latest Fox News star to depart the network as a result of sexual misconduct or assault allegations in the years since the #MeToo movement has gained prominence.
Among the most high-profile cases, longtime Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes stepped down in 2016, and ratings powerhouse Bill O’Reilly was ousted in 2017, both amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
