Fox News is investigating claims that host Eric Bolling sent an unsolicited photo of male genitalia in text messages to at least three colleagues, which the HuffPost reported on Friday.
Citing “a dozen sources,” the HuffPost reported that the messages were sent several years ago and the women found them “deeply upsetting and offensive.”
“We were just informed of this late Friday afternoon via the Huffington Post inquiry and plan to investigate the matter,” a Fox News spokesperson told TheWrap.
The HuffPost is not revealing the identities of Bolling’s accusers, who confirmed they received the lewd photo. The site spoke with 14 anonymous sources for the story that still work at Fox News or Fox Business Network.
Bolling’s attorney, Michael J. Bowe, issued the following statement to HuffPost: “Mr. Bolling recalls no such inappropriate communications, does not believe he sent any such communications, and will vigorously pursue his legal remedies for any false and defamatory accusations that are made.”
Bolling, who co-hosts “The Fox News Specialists,” has been a prominent figure on the network for years. Earlier this year he was pulled off his former show, “The Five,” when it moved to primetime because network executives wanted a familiar face in the 5 p.m. ET time slot. Paired with Kat Timpf and Eboni K. Williams, “Specialists” is, essentially, a new version of “The Five.”
Bolling is a former commodities trader who landed a TV gig at CNBC and joined Fox News in 2007. He is an outspoken supporter of President Trump and was widely speculated to be under consideration for a role in the administration. Those rumors were put to rest in June when he signed a multi-year extension at Fox News.
Bolling regularly filled in as host of “The O’Reilly Factor” before the show was pulled off the air because of sexual harassment allegations against star Bill O’Reilly.
Fox News’ late founding CEO Roger Ailes stepped down last year amid a series of sexual harassment allegations. Co-president Bill Shine also left the network after being named in a variety of the lawsuits against Ailes and O’Reilly, although Shine was never accused himself and denies all wrongdoing.
The network has faced a variety of accusations and lawsuits since the Ailes scandal initially surfaced but remains the most-watched network in cable news.