Nightline will be back in shes a former miss america who rose to fame as a television anchor. Now Gretchen Carlson may be best known for taking a stand on an onequarter of all women in the workplace, Sexual Harassment. We begin with what led to her decision to file a lawsuit that changed the media landscape. A media and political bombshell ceo roger ailes handed in his resignation reporter shes seen as the woman who brought down a titan of television. Gretchen carlsons lawsuit accusing fox news chairman and ceo roger ailes of Sexual Harassment sending shock waves nothing like that had ever really happened at fox news. Reporter Sarah Ellison has reported extensively about ailes and his network, whose anchor women sported a signature look. The dresses are tighter, the skirts are shorter. A leg cam, a camera which shoots at a particular angle so you can see her legs are cross and thigh revealed. Reporter carlson fit the mold as coanchor of the morning show fox and friends for seven a hostile workplace. Read the headlines. Reporter ailes allegedly making comments like, i think you and i should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago. She starts to tape her meetings with roger. Its at this point where he sort of begins to say things to her that she includes in a lawsuit later. Reporter while carlson was quietly gathering evidence, ailes abruptly fired her last june. Two weeks later she shot back with her explosive lawsuit. From her former colleagues. Ive worked for roger ailes for 20 years. Right . Best boss ive ever had. Reporter along with bill oreilly, other fox stars lined up. Why didnt she quit and sue instead of suing only after she got fired . But Parent Company 21st century fox listened and launched an internal investigation which turned up at least a dozen women, some of whom have strikingly similar stories. Credence that it wasnt just Gretchen Carlson, there were other women. Reporter the crisis came to a crescendo when one woman who was noticeably absent from ailes chorus of defenders spoke up. It culminated in a physical attempt to be with me which i rejected in his office. Then i contacted a lawyer. He tried to kiss me three times. So i rejected that. And when i rejected that, he asked me when my contract was up. Reporter two weeks after carlson filed her lawsuit, roger the next day, fox announced his resignation. This past september, 21st century fox settled with Gretchen Carlson for a staggering 20 million and offering a rare public apology. We sincerely regret that gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve. Women do not normally get an apology. When Something Like this happens. And i think that was extraordinarily important. Vehemently denied all the allegations of Sexual Assault against him. Still, it was the end of an era at fox news. Ushered in by one woman. If Gretchen Carlson hadnt sued, would roger ailes still be the chairman of fox news . I think so, i think so. After months caught up in a media firestorm, Gretchen Carlson now finally speaking out using her story and her stature in the hopes of helping other women suffering in the face of heres abcs amy robach. This one says, i want to praise and commend you for your bravery and strength for coming forward and paving the way for other women who are experiencing a horrible situation. Reporter Gretchen Carlson reading just a small sampling of the letters shes received since becoming cast unwittingly in the role of warrior for women against workplace Sexual Harassment. Youve become a hero for so many women. And i can see you getting going to be in this position, you know . Reporter for those who think they know carlson and followed her career, she may seem miscast, her viewpoints typically traditional, often conservative. Then the fact shes a former physical america. What does that crown mean to you today . Its still something that im very proud of. Can you understand why some people think you are an unlikely feminist . I know, i dont like that title. Listen, i have been fighting for women my e along know that about me. Reporter raised in minnesota, carlson was a precocious child. A violin prodigy. And a straight a student. She credits her mother for instilling a drive for excellence. I grew up thinking that i could be anything i wanted to be in this world. Because my mom told me that every single night. Reporter her determination led her to stanford university. Then in atlantic city, at 22, . . Reporter and was crowned miss america. Miss mork, Gretchen Carlson reporter fresh off her win, carlson arrived in new york in the fall of 1988 for a victory lap. Where her ability to hold her own was publicly put to the test by the unabashed local news fixture penny crohn. What is real on you, what isnt real . Everything one color . Except for a few highlights. Have you had sex yet . Or are you waiting to get married . Oh, come on. No comment on that. Reporter carlson refused to be rattled. It was pretty astonishing for a 22yearold woman who had just accomplished something pretty spectacular to be faces with that kind of demeaning question. Reporter being bullied by the press paled in comparison to the Sexual Harassment carlson says she faced as she tried to highpowered pr executive in los angeles. We were in a car and he took my head and my neck and he shoved my face into his crotch so forcefully that i couldnt breathe. Did you blame yourself . I think to a certain part, yeah. You think, i must have done something. Reporter carlson says another incident happened at her first job in local news. After a cameraman placed a microphone under her blouse which is a she says he then began making sexually suggestive comments about her breasts. He started asking me questions about how i felt when he had to touch my private parts. And i thought, whoa. This is not a safe conversation. Reporter she planned to stay silent. But then she says her news director noticed she was visibly shaken and pushed her to tell him what happened. I told him. When situations like that happen to women, you fear that its youre going to lose your job. Youre going to be that woman. Youre going to be that woman, troublemaker. Troublemaker, not whistleblower. Exactly. Reporter always the journalist, carlson must have noticed a tinge of familiarity mixed in with my empathy. Im going to go out on a limb and ask if Sexual Harassments ever happened to you. It has. And its something that i think has happened to so many women and most of us say nothing. Because look atow to women when they finally do come forward. Theyre accused of making it up. Do you remember the moment when you said to yourself, im ready and im prepared to take on the most powerful man in television . I wish i could answer that, but i cant. Reporter because of her landmark Settlement Agreement with fox news, gretchen was unable to answer any of those questions about the allegations she made after her departure. Do you feel like youve won . I cant answer specifically that specific case. But boy, i hope ive helped other women to win. How important is actual evidence in proving a Sexual Harassment case . Very important. Because of the he said, she said. But people would be very interested to know that if theyre considering trying to arm themselves with any kind of evidence, you should check what your laws are in your particular state. L dealing with Sexual Harassment say, what am i supposed to do . I cant afford to lose this job. What do you say to those women . I say that we as a country have to come up with a solution for every single one of them. And thats what i hope to at least start the discussion on. Reporter this has become carlsons mission. She is now planning to testify before congress. Shes creating a foundation to help empower women. And shes encouraging families to start the conversation about own daughter kaya and son christian. I want my son when he gets into the workplace to respect his female colleagues in the same way that he looks at his mom. . What have you told her about the challenges she may face as a woman in the workplace . Right. Im not talking to her about anything negative right now, im building her up. Are you confident when you go into your first job after seeing what your moms will speak up . Yeah. My mom has also made it so this will happen less. But im confident if this happens, i will be able to speak up and do whats right. Do you think your moms a hero . Yes, i do think my moms a hero, for many women, also for many men in the world. Because shes teaching them how to treat women. Reporter moms sage advice seems to be rubbing off. She came home from school recently and said to me, mommy, myself. And i did it because you did it. Thats all that matters. If the only thing i accomplished was that my children would be proud of me, that would have been enough. Reporter for nightline, im amy robach in greenwich, connecticut. Our thanks to amy. Up next, another harrowing tale of Sexual Harassment. A woman who says my goal was to finally get in shape. Noon my moderateng to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. So i made a decision to talk to my dermatologist about humira. Humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to my symptoms. 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During the ford year end event get an extra thousand dollars black friday bonus cash on top of all other great offers. G internet for the holidays. So in the 3. 7 seconds it takes gary watson to beat the local sled jump record, fly, gary, fly. His friend can download 13 versions of the perfect song. His sister can live stream it. While his mom downloads how to set a dislocated shoulder. Get 150 meg internet with equal upload and download speeds, tv and phone for this amazing price. Cable cant offer speeds in the wake of roger ailes abrupt departure from fox news, another woman who was behind the scenes at the network decided to go public. Laurie loon came forward claiming she was pressured into a sexual relationship with the chairman and that it went on for decades. Her story first exploded onto the pages of new York Magazine and now shes sharing it with abcs elizabeth vargas. Tell me first of all why youve decided to speak out. Elizabeth, went through such hell for so many years, i finally felt safe when i saw that other women were speaking up. Reporter for decades, laurie was one of roger ailes closest associates. They met when she was 28 years old, working on george h. W. Bushs first president ial campaign. Ailes already a powerful media consultant. I wanted to meet him, i wanted to work for him, i was so excited. I introduced myself to him on the elevator and i think later and was super friendly. Then acted like hed remembered me and i was flattered. Reporter after the campaign ended, laurie says she was financially strapped and desperate for a job when ailes invited her for an interview with his firm. At the meeting she says he asked her questions that felt more personal than professional. I think he wanted to gauge what kind of a person i was. If i was insecure. If i was looking for a daddy figure. Sussing out your vulnerabilities . Eventually. Reporter laurie says ailes offered her work doing research, but according to laurie it became clear he was ined in more when he asked her to meet him at his hotel room one night. What did he tell you . He said i needed training. You needed training . I needed training. Reporter laurie says ailes told her to strip down to her lingerie and dance for him. Feeling intimidated, she says she did as she was told. Then what did he do . What you are, laurie, youre my whore, youre my sex slave. Reporter laurie says ailes then instructed her to perform oral sex. I didnt question it. That was his big thing, dont question anything i ask you to do, laurie. Did you try to refuse . Its too late, the minute it happened i knew that i had been blackmailed. Because he did take photographs of me. He would say, this is just my little ian reporter according to laurie, that bizarre night was no aberrant incident. It would become a pattern that continued off and on for more than 20 years. Laurie too afraid to tell anyone. Hed say, im your only friend, im the only person in the world that you can trust, you cant trust anyone else. You say that enough times to someone and and its reality. Reporter laurie says her rewarded with higherpaid positions. Eventually being named the director of booking at fox news with a sixfigure annual salary. But it all came at a price. He really let me know, i want you to show me some gratitude. As in . Sexual . Yes. Gratitude . Yes. Its unbelievable that it would be that overt. That, okay, you finally got this big promotion, i told you id c down. I was so excited then the next words were, go over to the double tree and thank me. I kept thinking it would end. You know people hearing this would say, why on earth would you go along with this . Its not like i was able to go and cry on the shoulder of some friend. I was completely isolated. What did you think would happen to you if you complained or tried to refuse . Have you seen roger ailes when hes unhappy . No, i havent. Its not a good sight to see. Reporter laurie says her life began to unravel in 2007 when she was demoted because of talk in the company about her relationship with ailes. My boss bill schein sent me to a psychiatrist. For the first time in over 20 years i spoke up and it all kind of came pouring out. Reporter laurie says the gravity of that admission triggered a nervous breakdown, landing in the hospital. Ultimately she says she knew it was time to counsel at fox news. What did you say in that letter . I just said that id been harassed the whole time ive been at fox and that id done my job and i received no response. So it really wasnt until i had hired a lawyer. Reporter within weeks of hiring that lawyer and without filing a lawsuit, laurie received a separation agreement worth more than 3 million. In 2011, after two decades of abc news reached out to roger ailes. He sent us this statement which reads in part, miss lunh is someone i once regarded as a friend and person i helped for many years. The stories she is telling now are fabrications built on halftruths and outright lies. Then why did fox pay you more than 3 million . Because he knew that it was the truth. I wasnt lying. Reporter even after all shes been through,au ailes today remain complicated. In fact, in the summer of 2015, four years after cutting off contact with ailes, she wrote him a letter. Why would you write him again, last year, asking for help finding a job . I think that maybe the little girl looking for the daddy figure is still saying, roger, look at me, can you believe in me . And its very sad. Reporter for nightline im for more information about how to handle Sexual Harassment in your workplace, go to abcnews. Com. Well be right back. Just press clean and let roomba from irobot help with your everyday messes. Roomba navigates your entire home. 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Then nick jonas shows off his sizzling bod. Plus beauty and the record breaker, disney newest block buster is breaking records. Big stars, big hollywood, celebrity page tv starts how. Im Sonia Isabelle coming from the celebrity page studio and in just minutes a close look at new shows but first the hollywood wrap. Lion premiere roars into new york. Nicole kidman walking the carpet of the newest film. Posing with pictures alone before cuddling up to husband keith urban. Mother of two adopted children reflecting on her character sue, based on a real woman who adopted an orphan toddler