FOX News Comments on Ruling Tyrus Can Be Sued For Sexual Harassment By Former FOX Nation Co-Host

UPDATE: FOX News has issued a statement to 411 on the judge’s ruling allowing Britt McHenry’s lawsuit against her former Fox Nation co-host Tyrus to continue forward:

“We are pleased that the court dismissed all of McHenry’s baseless claims against Fox Corporation, Monica Mekeel and John Finley, as well as the harassment claims against Jennifer Rauchet. Once the facts of the case have been presented, we are confident Fox News and Rauchet will prevail on McHenry’s remaining claims, which are equally without merit.”

Additionally, this post described Tyrus and McHenry as former FOX News programming co-hosts in one line and not Fox Nation as it should have been. That error has been corrected.

ORIGINAL: Former WWE & TNA star Tyrus can be sued for sexual harassment by his former Fox Nation programming co-host Britt McHenry, a judge has ruled. Law & Crime reports that U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer has allowed the lawsuit by McHenry to move forward, rejecting claims from Tyrus that the text messages he sent McHenry were not sexual advances.

McHenry sued Tyrus, real name George Murdoch, as well as FOX News late last year in regard to the sexual harassment allegations she made a few months earlier. McHenry filed a complaint in July 2019 that Tyrus sent her unwanted and unsolicited lewd and sexually-oriented text messages on several occasions. She alleges that when she complained, FOX responded by “refusing to investigate some of her claims, shunning her, shutting her out of company events, and refusing to allow her on Fox News Channel shows.”

Tyrus was removed from Un-PC, the Fox Nation streaming show which he co-hosted with Tyrus, and given a new show NUFFSAID.

Among the court documents in the lawsuit are text messages from Tyrus, including one from November 5th, 2018 that read, “Dick pics coming in 5 sec!!!!” Judge Paul Engelmayer shot down the claims that these weren’t sexual advances, writing, “His communications, as pled, are readily construed to reflect sexual advances and propositions, albeit unusually crude and clumsy ones, towards her.”

McHenry’s allegations against FOX Corporation have been dismissed, according to the ruling, though it also notes that Fox News itself has yet to file a motion to dismiss.

McHenry’s lawyer said in a statement to the outlet, “This is a victory for Ms. McHenry and a milestone in her pursuit of justice. We look forward to now having the opportunity to prove our claims of sexual harassment and retaliation against Fox News, Mr. Murdoch, and Ms. Rauchet in court.”

The full ruling is here.