PROVOKR PICK: BOMBSHELL

Charlize Theron Talks Bombshell

Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie in 'Bombshell'

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

Television executive and former political consultant Roger Ailes became CEO of Fox News Channel in 1996. He turned traditional broadcast journalism upside down when he created FNC. It started as and remains a biased, conservative, influential network. In 2005, he expanded his base when he also became Chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group. Ailes was powerful and wildly successful. But, as they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall and he plunged to the bottom. Bombshell is the true story of the women who took Roger Ailes down.

In this era of “Me Too” sexual abuse allegations, most people are no longer shocked. However, when Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women at Fox, it sent shockwaves through the media industry. In Bombshell, Nicole Kidman plays former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson, who set the course for Ailes’ downfall. Carlson sued Ailes, claiming she was fired for refusing his sexual advances. Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) also stepped forward with stories of his impropriety. Margot Robbie plays Kayla Pospisil in the film. Pospisil is an amalgamation of other women who helped to bring Ailes down.

In all, two dozen women accused and/or sued Ailes for improper behavior.

Did these women succeed in ending Ailes’ reign at Fox News? Yes, but it came at a cost. Bombshell focuses on the abuse these women endured and the fallout of their decisions. But, how much did it affect Ailes? We may never know. Yes, he was pushed out of Fox and took on an advisory role for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. But, about a year after he got a $40 million severance package from Fox, he died. Roger Ailes suffered from the bleeding disorder hemophilia and a fall on a marble floor caused a fatal subdural hematoma.