Bill O’Reilly Seeks Gag Order on His Own Wife and Children

Ever mindful of his delicate image, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly has filed for a gag order on his own family in order to prevent details from his custody battle from emerging.

04:12 11.08.2015(updated 04:45 11.08.2015)

The host of the “O’Reilly Factor” has had a string of controversies over the last year. In February, a number of former colleagues came forward claiming that the Fox News host had exaggerated his own experiences in Argentine war zones. That same week O’Reilly was accused of lying about his minor cameo in the story of the JFK assassination. Then were more claims still that he exaggerated the dangers faced while covering the LA riots.
Bill O'Reilly's former colleagues say he's embellished accounts of his reporting from Argentina in the 1980s.
© AP Photo/ Matt Sayles/Invision for The Society of Singers
More Colleagues Claim Bill O’Reilly is Making Up His War Reporting Stories

The good news for O’Reilly is that the storm has settled. Unlike NBC’s Brian Williams, who was fired after making similar embellishments, O’Reilly still sits comfortably atop the Fox News food pyramid. The bad news is that he’s now embroiled in a scandal that would appear to run afoul of the "family values" his network tries so hard to uphold.

In May, a judge granted O’Reilly’s ex-wife, Maureen McPhilmy, sole custody of their two children. O’Reilly appealed that decision, and the legal feud is still ongoing. But on the same day as the appeal was filed, the journalist also filed a motion for a gag order.

Such motions are considered controversial due to what some see as a violation of the First Amendment. Gag orders are specifically designed to prevent individuals involved in legal proceedings from speaking to the media about details from the case.

A curious concept for a major media figure to endorse.

Even more curious given that, in this case, such a motion would force both O’Reilly’s ex-wife and his own children from divulging "any information pertaining to [the] case," according to court filings.

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