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THR, website of Larry Klayman

Former Fox News Staffer Sues Showtime for $750 Million Over Her Portrayal in Upcoming Roger Ailes Miniseries

Jan 9, 2019  •  Post A Comment

Laura Luhn, a former Fox News staffer, “is suing Showtime and others over a planned TV series about Roger Ailes that she says will portray her as an accomplice to alleged sexual abuse instead of one of the late [Fox News] CEO’s primary victims,” reports Paul Bond for The Hollywood Reporter.

The story continues, saying that the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, “alleges she endured forced sex, blackmail and smear campaigns at the hands of Ailes to such an extent she contemplated suicide.

“Nevertheless, Luhn’s attorney says Showtime’s upcoming series, based on Gabriel Sherman’s book ‘The Loudest Voice in the Room,’ is planning to show her as a pimp for Ailes, willingly lining up women for him to sexually assault.”

From Luhn’s lawsuit, here’s some of what she alleges Ailes did:

“During the entirety of Plaintiff’s time on staff at Fox News, Ailes demanded, coerced, extorted, blackmailed and forced sexual favors from her, making impossible, frightening, dangerous and unrealistic demands and using mind control techniques that he referred to as her ‘training.’ Ailes had bragged that he conducted training at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and this was his way to keep ‘Plaintiff in line and loyal to him.’ He would periodically call her in Washington telling her he felt her slipping up and that she needed more ‘training.’

“The immensely powerful Ailes always reinforced to Plaintiff that she was to tell no one about what she considered his abusive and threatening tactics and demands, which is why she remained fearful of Ailes’ promised retribution during her tenure with Fox News. He told her to think of it as the military and that she was expected to follow orders. The ‘orders’ were implied in every aspect of the Plaintiff’s work life and personal life. Ailes required Plaintiff  ‘to report in’ anything she had heard or seen that he would find ‘useful.’

“Plaintiff was told to perform like ‘G.I. Jane’ and act like Doris Day. Plaintiff was forced to purchase black garters and stockings to wear for Ailes, which he called her ‘uniform.’ He required her to leave her job in the middle of the day and meet him in various hotel rooms requiring her to wear the ‘uniform.’ This was particularly painful and embarrassing to the Plaintiff, as she was booking guests for a show and had to excuse herself, falsely telling the producers she felt ill.

“When Plaintiff received a promotion in June of 2004, Ailes told her she needed to thank him. While in his office at Fox News Headquarters, Ailes told Plaintiff to go to the Doubletree Hotel in Times Square, put on her ‘uniform’ and thank him for the promotion. Ailes forced Plaintiff to meet him at the hotel and perform oral sex in order to thank him for the promotion.”

To read Luhn’s entire lawsuit, please click here.

Besides Showtime and Gabriel Sherman, the lawsuit names Blumhouse Productions as a defendant.

Says Luhn’s attorney, Larry Klayman, on his website, “As alleged in the [lawsuit], Ms. Luhn’s ‘experience’ with Ailes and Fox News was so prominent that she occupies a central role in Defendants’ miniseries, which is currently filming in Los Angeles. To this end, it is no coincidence that Ms. Luhn is being played by an A-List Actress Anabelle Wallis. But Ms. Luhn, who is not a public figure, is not being compensated for the use of her likeness and being, as is legally required. In this regard, on behalf of the Defendants, their law firm, Davis Wright Tremaine, arrogantly told Ms. Luhn to get lost when she tried to settle with them, not even agreeing to use her as a consultant to ensure that the miniseries was factually accurate. Previously, Defendant Sherman had written a defamatory article about Ms. Luhn, as alleged in the [lawsuit], which he refused to correct.”

The lawsuit, seeks at least $750 million and a permanent injunction that will prevent the defendants from engaging in any commercial use of Luhn’s story, notes THR.

The THR story also says that “Showtime and Blumhouse did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.”

One Comment

  1. I don’t know, didn’t the recent SCOTUS decision on the De Havilland case mean everyone’s life is now fair game to be portrayed however writers want?

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