Tucker Carlson's Ex-High-Ranking Producer at Fox News Faces Sexual Assault Allegations

Justin Wells, former executive producer of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," is facing accusations of sexual assault and harassment from a former colleague, Andrew Delancey. The incident allegedly occurred more than a decade ago when Delancey relocated to New York to work for a Fox News affiliate video service.

A lawsuit was filed on Monday in a New York State court in accordance with New York's Adult Survivors Act. The lawsuit includes Fox News and its parent company Fox Corporation as defendants. Under the law, survivors were given a one-year window to bring claims against abusers, waiving the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits.

In the lawsuit, Delancey alleges that he was befriended by Wells, who told him he could help him "learn the ropes" of the right-wing cable network. At the time, Wells was a producer for Greta Van Susteren's Fox News show. The two men met for the first time at Wells' apartment, where Delancey claims he was "aggressively pushed" onto Wells' bed and Wells "violently forced his tongue" into Delancey's mouth, according to the suit.

Delancey claimed that he shouted "no" and pushed Wells away before alleging that Wells assaulted him again shortly after in the apartment building's stairs before he was able to leave. He stated in the lawsuit that he was advised not to go to Fox's human resources to report the assault, and accused Wells of impeding his career progression because he refused to comply with Wells's sexual demands.

The complaint stated that Mr. Delancey was forced to confront his harasser in the workplace without a safe way to complain during his time at Fox. After receiving threats from Wells, Mr. Delancey's career progression at Fox was clearly halted, which was different from the promised career advancements and warm welcome he had initially received. As a result, Mr. Delancey returned to his job at a Fox affiliate in Tampa.

Delancey's lawyer Alfredo Pelicci told CNN that Delancey is no longer allowing himself to be intimidated by Justin Wells or Fox, and the law firm is dedicated to holding Mr. Wells and Fox responsible for their illegal and repulsive behaviors. The lawsuit does not specify the damages being sought.

Wells' attorney Harmeet Dhillon stated that Delancey's lawsuit was "baseless" and was filed 15 years after the alleged incident. Dhillon also mentioned that Wells denies the allegations and is prepared to vigorously contest them, characterizing the lawsuit as an attempt by a law firm with a history of suing Fox and its former employees to capitalize on unfounded claims.

Tucker Carlson stated to CNN that if someone believes they have been the victim of a sex crime, they have a moral obligation to alert the police to prevent it from happening to others. He also added that waiting 15 years to pursue a civil suit undermines the credibility of the claim. In response, Pelicci criticized Carlson's statements, calling them a classic example of powerful individuals using tactics to avoid accountability and silence victims.

Fox News did not respond immediately to CNN's request for comment. The conservative network has faced numerous lawsuits, including a recent one from former producer Abby Grossberg, who alleged a deeply misogynistic work environment. Notably, sexual harassment lawsuits led to CEO Roger Ailes resigning in 2016 and Bill O'Reilly being forced out in 2017 amidst allegations of harassment against them both.

Fox fired Carlson in April and canceled his program during the fallout from the $787 million lawsuit settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems.