Bill O’Reilly Stops Sexual Harassment Accuser From Appearing On ‘The View’ With Restraining Order

“The View” was forced to postpone a Wednesday interview with Bill O’Reilly accuser Andrea Mackris when the former Fox News host filed a restraining order against her on Tuesday.  

Mackris made headlines last week when she bucked her non-disclosure agreement to detail the sexual harassment she allegedly experienced while working for O’Reilly and the process of settling her claim against him for $9 million in 2004.   

“We were notified late yesterday about a temporary restraining order issued by a court against Andrea Mackris. We decided to postpone her interview pending further developments,” the morning talk show said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming her to ‘The View’ at a later date.”

In Mackris’ interview with The Daily Beast, she recounted how O’Reilly would repeatedly describe his sexual fantasies to her over phone calls while he was masturbating on the other end.  

“He always wanted me to join him in masturbating on the phone. I never did. He mocked my lack of participation as ‘hibernation’ and ‘celibacy,’” she said. “Once again, like every other time, I asked him why he continued to do this when I only ever said ‘No’ and ‘Please stop’ and ‘You’re my boss.’ 

“I was trying to snap him out of it, I was thinking that it would click for him one of these times how wrong this was. I wanted very badly for him to stop and I made that abundantly clear,“ she continued. “Instead, he said, ‘I know, but I’m going to make you play.’ Here was my boss, a man who held my career and future in his hands, acknowledging that he knew I’d never consented but he didn’t care.”

That was the instance that led Mackris to file the harassment suit against him, which effectively ended her career in journalism and bought her silence. “It was part of the NDA on October 28, 2004. I had no choice, no way out. He uses it to abuse me,” she claimed. “That same document says Bill won’t breach, which he’s done over and over, calling me a liar. It cuts both ways.”  

Now that same non-disclosure agreement is keeping her from speaking out 17 years later. “Ms. Mackris cannot unilaterally decide that she no longer wants to honor its terms without consequences,” O’Reilly’s lawyer stated. “And third parties, including news organizations, who encourage and/or induce a breach of such an agreement will similarly be held accountable for their actions.”

“Although (The Daily Beast) was fully aware of the contractual restrictions on Ms. Mackris, they proceeded with the programs giving Ms. Mackris a platform to breach her agreement,” the attorney concluded.

Marie Finn