Gretchen Carlson was the first accuser of Roger Ailes. She was interviewed by 20/20 last night
The interview started with her reading supportive letters that she has received from others. Her social media pages have been negative, so I was wondering what her experiences had been. The letters were agreeing with her, rooting her on, and calling her a role model. Then, the interview shifted to her early life.
She was Miss America 1989. She had her first run in with sexual assault towards the end of her reign. Carlson was in a car with an exec after meeting with him throughout the day when he turned and shoved his tongue down her throat. She got out of the car and ran. A couple of months later, it happened again.
She was riding in a car with another exec when she got her face shoved into his crotch. She again felt that maybe she did something wrong. Maybe she did something to give these men that idea.
Carlson was legally unable to discuss the Roger Ailes case specifically, but the points against him have been made by numerous women.
I thought the interview did a great job of showing how she has become the (strong) woman that she is. I believe many people tried to strip her credibility from her because they didn’t agree with her political views.
People also could have tried to do that because she is a pageant girl. If that was their thought process, they messed with the wrong woman. Carlson is a Stanford grad. She has been in the journalism business for over thirty years. She knew what she was up against when she made the allegations and knew that people might not believe her.