Longtime Fox News host Eric Bolling has agreed to leave the network following an investigation into claims of sexual harassment after three of his colleagues claimed that he sent them unsolicited photos of male genitalia via text message.
The rising Fox News host was suspended during the investigation and will now leave the network where he has anchored several different shows for the past 10 years.
‘Fox News Channel is canceling The Specialists, and Eric Bolling and Fox have agreed to part ways amicably,’ a network spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
‘We thank Eric for his ten years of service to our loyal viewers and wish him the best of luck.’
After the news was announced that he was leaving Fox, Bolling tweeted: ‘I will continue to fight against these false smear attacks! THANK YOU FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT’.
The network began investigating Bolling, who is married, after two of the women who claimed to have received the photo worked with Bolling at Fox Business Network, while a third woman works at Fox News, Huffington Post reported.
Longtime Fox News host Eric Bolling (above) has agreed to leave the network following an investigation into claims of sexual harassment after three of his colleagues claimed that he sent them unsolicited photos of male genitalia via text message
The women all claim they did not solicit the messages and that they knew the message was from Bolling, who has been married to his wife since 1997, because they recognized the phone number from previous informal and work-related interactions.
Huffington Post reported that the messages were sent several years ago on separate occasions.
After receiving the messages reportedly from Bolling, the women told their colleagues that they were deeply offended and upset.
One of the women replied to the 54-year-old anchor instructing him to never send her photos of male genitalia ever again; he reportedly did not respond.
A dozen sources told Huffington Post that at least two of Bolling’s female colleagues at Fox Business and one at Fox News received the photos of male genitalia from Bolling.
The identities of the women have not been released to the public. Bolling had previously denied all allegations against him.
It was announced last month that Bolling is reportedly suing the Huffington Post reporter who broke the story claiming that he had sent several female co-workers lewd photos.
After the news was announced that he was leaving Fox, Bolling tweeted: ‘I will continue to fight against these false smear attacks! THANK YOU FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT’
Yashar Ali tweeted that he is being personally sued by Bolling for $50 million in damages for the story which led to the Fox reporter’s suspension on Saturday.
‘It’s important to note that Bolling’s summons does not include HuffPost – he is coming after me personally. I’m a big boy…but very telling,’ Ali tweeted on Wednesday.
‘Not going to stop reporting on Eric Bolling or anyone else. I’ve had family members killed/jailed in Iran, a lawsuit isn’t going to scare me,’ he added, writing that he ‘stand(s) by my reporting + will protect my sources.’
Bolling is represented by Michael Bowe – a lawyer from the same firm as Marc Kasowitz, President Trump’s personal attorney until July.
The defamation lawsuit seeks $50 million in damages for ‘the defendant’s efforts to injure the plaintiff’s reputation through the intentional and/or highly reckless publication of actionable false and misleading statements about the plaintiff’s conduct and character.
‘As a result of the defendant’s actions, the plaintiff has been substantially harmed,’ the summons sent to Ali stated.
Since the allegations emerged, a Fox News guest, who says she was sexually harassed by Bill O’Reilly, has come forward to claim she was also on the receiving end of unwanted advances by Bolling.
Caroline Heldman, a 44-year-old Associate Professor of Politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles, made ‘hundreds’ of appearances on Fox between 2008 and 2011, many of which were on Bolling’s show Bulls & Bears.
Between appearances, she claimed Bolling, 54, called and texted her to invite her to New York to ‘have fun’. On one occasion when she was in town, he took her into his office and told her it was his favorite place to have sex, she said.
He called her ‘Dr. McHottie’ on air and, she said, would sometimes call her afterwards to apologize ‘and then do it again’.
Heldman made her accusations in a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday in which she also claimed that ‘several other women’ received similar treatment from him.
‘My only surprise is that it took this long for people to come forward about Bolling’s behavior, which has been wildly inappropriate for years,’ she wrote.
Bolling denies ever making inappropriate and unsolicited contact with her.
His attorney Michael Bowe told DailyMail.com on Monday: ‘Mr. Bolling never had any interactions with Ms. Heldman of a sexual nature, and any such accusation would be false and defamatory.’
The father-of-one co-hosted the Fox News show The Specialists and hosted Cashin’ In.
His show The Specialist only just premiered in May. He previously served as one of five anchors on the network’s show, The Five.
Prior to joining the network in 2008, Bolling worked at CNBC and was a former commodities trader.
In the past year, the network has faced numerous accusations of sexual harassment and assault by Fox Business and Fox News on-air talent and executives.
Former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes resigned last year after ex-Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment.
Numerous current and former Fox News hosts have accused Ailes of harassment since he was forced out of the company.
Twenty-First Century Fox paid out $50million to settle sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits at Fox News in the last 12 months.
The figure was disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which was published on Monday.