After Fox News anchorman Shepard Smith's newsroom duties were tweaked last year, allegations have been made that the changes occurred due to Smith asking the news channel to come out as gay, Variety reported.
A story published by Gawker Wednesday alleges that Smith was taken off of the primetime-aired "Fox Report" after attending Fox News topper Roger Ailes' annual Fourth of July picnic with his reported boyfriend, a 26-year-old Fox producer.
Around the same time, Gawker's J.K. Trotter quotes "multiple sources" as claiming that Smith was renegotiating his contract with the network and had approached network president Ailes last summer about publicly acknowledging his sexuality, the Kansas City Star reported.
"It's time. It's time," Smith allegedly told Ailes and other colleagues.
Gawker contends that the subject came up during contract negotiations when "Shep wanted to and was ready to come out, and Roger just said no," a Fox insider said.
Smith was reportedly told by Ailes that Fox's audience would not tolerate a gay news anchor.
"But the discussion worried enough Fox executives to prompt Smith's removal, in September 2013, from the channel's coveted prime-time lineup," Gawker reported. "According to a Fox insider with direct knowledge of negotiations, Smith's desire to come out was a large factor in the dramatic move."
However, Ailes and Smith issued a joint statement condemning the Gawker piece as "100% false and a complete fabrication" on Wednesday.
"As colleagues and close friends at Fox News for 18 years, our relationship has always been rooted in a mutual respect, deep admiration, loyalty, trust, and full support both professionally and personally."
Fox News executive Bill Shine, named in the Gawker story as one of the network honchos who didn't want Smith to come out, issued his own statement, according to Kansas City Star.
"We have never asked Shep to discuss or not discuss his private life, and the notion of us having an issue with anyone's sexuality is not only insulting, but pure fiction," he said.
