Fox News is undoubtedly keen to avoid any and all workplace discomfort after the Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly scandals, which is both a refreshing and necessary goal. So, when Gene Simmons reportedly busted into a staff meeting with a wildly sexist outburst, the network banned the founding KISS member for life. However, and after Simmons bizarrely followed up by telling women that it’s up to them to demand respect from men, he’s circling back to his inability to ever again broadcast the weather on Fox News.
Simmons wants everyone to know that he’s sorry if he “unintentionally offended” Fox News staffers, which is a classic sorry-not sorry approach. However, he also insists that reports that he showed off his chest — while telling pedophilia jokes, “bopping two employees on the head with his book,” and saying, “Hey chicks, sue me” — were greatly exaggerated. The Daily Beast has Simmons’ statement:
“I have appeared frequently over the years on various Fox News and Fox Business programs and have a tremendous amount of respect for the talented women and men who work there. While I believe that what is being reported is highly exaggerated and misleading, I am sincerely sorry that I unintentionally offended members of the Fox team during my visit.”
It’s unclear whether Simmons intended this statement as a means of getting back into network executives’ good graces. Yet he clearly stated that he’s mostly sorry that he offended people. He also didn’t express regrets for any behavior and vaguely claimed that not all of the report is true. Yet who knows, we may end up seeing Simmons make a grand return as a Sean Hannity guest — because if O’Reilly can come back to his old stomping grounds, anything is possible on cable news.
(Via Daily Beast)