Suspended Fox News host Eric Bolling is trying to make a giant defamation lawsuit happen, tacking yet another legal issue on the board for the network in 2017. With his reputation on the line, Bolling has filed suit for $50 million against a freelance journalist, and things are heating up between attorneys on both sides. Here's what's known so far about the situation, and how both sides are responding to the latest in Bolling's scandal.
Eric Bolling's lawsuit was filed against freelance journalist Yashar Ali, and is suing Ali for false statements that allege sexual harassment by Bolling. THR says that no specific instances are mentioned in the suit, but his litigator Patty Glaser believes it is in response to a story Ali wrote about Bolling for Huffington Post on August 4th. The story in question alleges that Bolling sent a picture of male genitalia via text message to a group of current and former colleagues of Fox News and Fox Business.
Patty Glaser continues by saying that Yashar Ali reached out to the attorney of Eric Bolling, Michael Bowe, prior to running the story to validate the claim and that the attorney offered no direct denial to the accusations. With no direct denial from Bowe in what Glaser would describe as "two pointed questions," Glaser is calling the lawsuit frivolous, and adds that as Bolling is a public figure, any trial would have to prove Ali wrote the story knowing the claims were false and with a general disregard for the truth. Glaser also adds that Ali allegedly confirmed the incident with 14 independent sources, which if true, would not bode well for Bolling's lawsuit.
In response, Eric Bolling's attorney Michael Bowe justifies the suit as a wish for the truth to come out. Bowe says that no evidence has been presented regarding the alleged genitalia incident, and that a trial will bring the truth to light regarding the situation. The statement seems to fall in line with the wishes of Bolling, who hosts the Fox News program The Fox News Specialists, as the suspended host took to Twitter to assure fans he would look to clear his name "ASAP."
Eric Bolling's lawsuit is just the latest in a seemingly never-ending amount of lawsuits and high profile firings for the Fox News channel this year. While some, like Sean Hannity, have managed to remain on the network despite some drama, others like Bill O' Reilly haven't been as lucky. As with all situations, let's hope the truth is revealed and justice is served in whatever way is most appropriate and that the primary home for drama on television can return to scripted shows. Speaking of which, those wishing to find a great series to watch over the next week would be well served to visit our summer premiere guide.
