UPDATE: Fox News executive chairman Rupert Murdoch issued a statement saying that the entire media company was “shocked and grieved” by Roger Ailes’ death. “A brilliant broadcaster, Roger played a huge role in shaping America’s media over the last thirty years,” the statement read, according to Fox News. “He will be remembered by the many people on both sides of the camera that he discovered, nurtured and promoted. Roger and I shared a big idea which he executed in a way no one else could have. In addition, Roger was a great patriot who never ceased fighting for his beliefs. At 21st Century Fox we will always be enormously grateful for the great business he built. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Elizabeth and son Zachary.”
Original story below
Former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has died at age 77, his wife, Elizabeth Ailes, announced in a statement on Thursday, May 18. Find out more in the video above, and detailed below.
“I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning,” she said in a statement to Drudge Report. “Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many. He was also a patriot, profoundly grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise — and to give back. During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life.” No other details on his death were provided.
Breaking News: Former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes has died, his family announced. pic.twitter.com/AksPdNSZaI
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 18, 2017
Roger resigned from his position last July following a series of sexual harassment allegations against him. He categorically denied all of the accusations.
The businessman became the founding CEO of Fox News in October 1996. He served as a media consultant for Republican presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and recently was an adviser to President Donald Trump during his campaign.
This story is developing. Check back for more updates.
