Judge dismisses defamation lawsuit from Bill O’Reilly accuser

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a defamation suit filed by a woman who accused former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly of harassment. 

Rachel Witlieb Bernstein, a former Fox News producer, said in court that O’Reilly and Fox News defamed her in interviews they gave following her allegation that O’Reilly screamed at her, in addition to allegations from other colleagues, according to Variety. 

O’Reilly claimed that he was the victim of “political and financial hit job” in interviews about several allegations against him. Bernstein said in the suit that the network gave a statement about the allegations that was misleading.{mosads}

U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts said Bernstein did not prove that she suffered harm from statements made by O’Reilly or Fox, Variety reported.

“She neither explains how her losses flowed from the alleged defamation nor alleges any facts establishing what, if any, emotional and physical harms and reputational damage she specifically suffered,” Batts said in her decision.  “She also does not allege the economic or pecuniary value of her alleged damages.”

Batts also said that Bernstein could not prove that statements made by a network executive about the claims against O’Reilly were about her specifically.

“Clearly, each statement that Plaintiff attributes to the Fox Defendants cannot plausibly be defamatory,” Batts wrote.

Batts determined that Bernstein could file another suit against O’Reilly, but not against Fox News. 

The Hill has reached out to Fox News for comment.