Julie Stewart-Binks Files Lawsuit Against Fox Sports and Executive Charlie Dixon

Former Fox Sports anchor and reporter Julie Stewart-Binks has filed a lawsuit against Fox Sports, its parent company Fox Corp., and executive Charlie Dixon, alleging that Dixon sexually assaulted her in 2016. The lawsuit, filed on Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims that Dixon, then FS1’s executive producer of content, assaulted her outside his Marina del Rey hotel room after a meeting to discuss an upcoming show.

Allegations of Assault and Retaliation

According to the lawsuit, Stewart-Binks met Dixon at a hotel bar on January 27, 2016, to discuss plans for a show hosted by Jason Whitlock during Super Bowl week. The conversation quickly turned inappropriate, with Dixon allegedly making degrading remarks, including:

• “You’re not funny, interesting, or talented.”
• “You’re not hot enough to be a hot girl on TV.”

Later that night, Dixon invited her to his hotel room balcony for a beer and to see the view. The lawsuit states that after she initially declined, she reluctantly accepted. Once on the balcony, Dixon allegedly pinned her against a wall, held her arms down, and attempted to force his tongue into her mouth.

“Dixon ignored her, continuing to press against her body and lick her closed mouth,” the lawsuit claims.

Stewart-Binks was able to break free and fled the hotel room, calling her mother immediately after. Fearing career consequences, she decided to stay silent at the time.

Career Setback After the Incident

Despite getting the Super Bowl show job, Stewart-Binks learned weeks later that Fox would not renew her contract. She left the network in 2017 but later informed Fox’s Human Resources department about the alleged assault while they were investigating another executive.

The lawsuit claims that Fox took no action against Dixon and instead chose to protect him, allowing him to remain an executive at the network for nearly a decade.

Fox Sports Responds to the Lawsuit

Fox Sports issued a statement acknowledging the allegations but emphasized that they were from over eight years ago:

“At the time, we promptly hired a third-party firm to investigate and addressed the matter based on their findings.”

However, Fox did not disclose the results of this investigation.

Stewart-Binks Seeks Accountability

Stewart-Binks believes that Dixon continued to use his influence to harm her career after she left Fox. While she has since worked for ESPN and other networks, she alleges that Dixon’s connections may have undermined her opportunities.

Her lawsuit demands:

• Unspecified damages
• Immediate measures to prevent future sexual assault and harassment at Fox Sports
• Termination of individuals responsible and those who enabled them, without severance

Connection to Another Fox Sports Lawsuit

Stewart-Binks’ lawsuit comes shortly after hairstylist Noushin Faraji filed a separate lawsuit against Fox Sports, Fox Corp., and Charlie Dixon, among others. Faraji’s lawsuit alleges a toxic workplace environment where executives and talent were allowed to physically and verbally abuse employees.

After learning of Faraji’s case, Stewart-Binks reached out to her to offer support. Faraji reportedly asked her to “tell her story to the world.”

What Happens Next?

This lawsuit adds to the growing list of allegations against Fox Sports regarding workplace misconduct. It raises questions about how media companies handle sexual harassment claims and whether they protect powerful executives over employees.

Stewart-Binks is seeking justice and systemic change at Fox, while Dixon and Fox Sports have yet to respond directly to the specific allegations in the lawsuit.

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In November 2011, Gisèle Pelicot began to notice something strange. Despite working hard during the week, she found herself increasingly fatigued, often drifting into deep sleep without warning. It was puzzling; weekends were her time to recharge, but she couldn’t seem to stay awake.

At the time, Gisèle, 58, was content with her life. She had been married to Dominique, her husband of 38 years, and they were planning for a peaceful retirement in the village of Mazan, located in southern France’s Provence region. Their children, Caroline, David, and Florian, were grown, and Gisèle looked forward to long walks with their dog, Lancôme, and quiet days with Dominique. She reflected fondly on their relationship, recalling how they’d supported each other through tough times, including financial struggles and past infidelities. By all appearances, they had weathered their storms together.

But things were not as they seemed.

What Gisèle couldn’t have known was that in his late 50s, as Dominique neared retirement, he had been secretly leading a disturbing double life. He had become deeply involved in online chatrooms where explicit and illegal content was shared. He was exploring darker impulses, and his obsession with this new world would soon lead to an unimaginable betrayal.

The start of his downward spiral can be traced to a man claiming to be a nurse who sent Dominique photos of his wife, drugged with sleeping pills. He shared instructions on how to replicate the drugging process, leading Dominique to experiment on his wife. Over time, he perfected the method, using prescribed tranquilisers to render Gisèle unconscious. Once in this state, Dominique would film her in compromising situations that she would never have agreed to while awake. What began as a shocking act of betrayal evolved into a decade-long cycle of abuse.

As Dominique continued his horrifying actions, Gisèle’s health rapidly deteriorated. She lost weight, experienced frequent blackouts, and was plagued by anxiety, convinced that something was terribly wrong. Her family noticed the changes, but Dominique always had an explanation for her odd behavior. He told them Gisèle was simply tired from her active life.

Though Gisèle occasionally suspected something was amiss – like noticing unusual stains on her clothes or the strange color of a drink – she brushed off her concerns, trusting her husband and attributing her symptoms to stress. When she underwent tests for various health conditions, nothing explained her increasingly debilitating fatigue.

It wasn’t until 2020, when Dominique was arrested for a separate incident in a supermarket, that the full extent of his crimes came to light. When police confiscated his devices, they discovered over 20,000 videos and photos of Gisèle, as well as evidence of her abuse by more than 70 men. Some of the men had been recruited by Dominique through online forums, where he encouraged them to participate in his sickening acts.

The horror escalated when Gisèle learned the truth. On November 2, 2020, after a police visit, Gisèle was shown a photo of one of the assaults. It was in that moment she realized the unimaginable: her husband, the man she had trusted and loved for decades, had been drugging and abusing her for years. Devastated, Gisèle’s world collapsed. She immediately informed her children, and they rushed to Mazan to confront the truth.

The family quickly took action, clearing out the house and severing all ties with Dominique. Gisèle, heartbroken and in shock, began the painful process of reclaiming her life. The divorce was finalized shortly before the trial, and Gisèle chose to return to her maiden name. She had previously kept her married name for her grandchildren’s sake, but now, she wanted to redefine herself and distance her legacy from the man who had betrayed her.

Throughout the trial, Gisèle’s courage became a symbol of resilience. She made the brave decision to waive her anonymity and publicly share her story, hoping to raise awareness about chemical submission and prevent other women from suffering the same fate. By allowing the disturbing videos to be shown in court, Gisèle’s legal team helped refute Dominique’s defense that the abuse was accidental.

As Gisèle faced her abuser in court, her strength and resolve were evident. “I want any woman who wakes up one morning with no memories of the night before to remember what I said,” she declared. “I was sacrificed on the altar of vice, and we need to talk about it.”

Gisèle’s story sent shockwaves through the courtroom, with many remarking on her extraordinary resilience. “She turned what could have destroyed her into strength,” one expert observed. Gisèle herself acknowledged that she is still healing, but her determination to fight for justice has transformed her pain into a powerful message.

Today, Gisèle lives in a new village far from Mazan, where she is focusing on her recovery. She no longer takes medication, instead relying on long walks and therapy. Though she is still haunted by the trauma, she is rebuilding her life on her own terms, away from the man who once held her captive in their shared home.

Her family, too, has found strength in the face of this unimaginable betrayal. Her son-in-law, Pierre, summed it up best when he said, “You cannot imagine the unimaginable.”

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Tensions erupted during the French mass rape trial on Wednesday when Dominique Pelicot’s daughter, Caroline, shouted across the courtroom that her father would “die alone like a dog.” The trial, which has drawn widespread attention, involves Pelicot and 50 other defendants accused of heinous crimes, with a verdict expected on December 20.

Caroline’s Anguish and Accusations

Caroline Darian, 45, accused her father of drugging and abusing her after semi-nude photos of her asleep were discovered on his laptop. Pelicot denies these allegations but admitted to drugging his wife, Gisèle, over a decade and recruiting men online to rape her while she was unconscious.

Caroline, visibly emotional, described how her life “stopped” in 2020 when police showed her the photos. Speaking directly to her father during his final testimony, she declared, “I will never come to see you. Never. You will die alone like a dog.”

In response, Pelicot expressed regret for losing his daughter’s support, recounting memories of their close relationship. “I would love to see her, to talk to her,” he said, but his words were met with silence and tears from Caroline.

Testimonies of Betrayal and Pain

During questioning, Pelicot described himself as a sex addict, admitting he felt “unburdened” after his arrest. He denied being motivated by revenge for his wife’s affair in the 1980s, calling the act of drugging someone “crap” and stating it “annihilates everything.”

Pelicot’s wife, Gisèle, courageously waived her anonymity to bring the trial to light. Her lawyers commended her bravery in pursuing justice despite the emotional toll.

Closing Arguments: A Historic Trial

Lawyers for Gisèle emphasized the trial’s significance, calling it a historic moment for addressing sexual violence and systemic abuse. Antoine Camus, one of her attorneys, condemned the “banality of evil,” referencing philosopher Hannah Arendt, and highlighted the collective responsibility of all involved in enabling such atrocities.

“Everyone who entered that house of horrors knew others had come before them and would follow,” Camus stated. He dismissed the defense’s argument that many men were manipulated or unaware of Gisèle’s unconscious state, arguing this excuse undermined accountability.

Gisèle’s Fight for Justice

The case has profoundly affected Gisèle’s life, forcing her to live in obscurity under her maiden name. However, in 2023, she decided to waive her anonymity, driven by a desire to shift the burden of shame and expose the reality of rape.

“She understood that for her story to help others, she needed to step into the light,” said her lawyer, Stéphane Babonneau. He emphasized that this trial was not just about seeking justice for Gisèle but creating a legacy for future generations.

A Legacy of Courage

Babonneau concluded by urging the judges to reject the defense’s argument of ignorance, warning of the dangerous precedent it could set. “If you accept the right to make a mistake, what stops another man from saying he misunderstood ‘no’ as ‘yes’ tomorrow?” he asked.

Turning to Gisèle, Babonneau paid tribute to her courage, saying, “You did your job. You went beyond what was expected of you. Now, pass on the torch to others to continue the fight you never chose.”

As the courtroom fell silent, Gisèle wiped her tears, embodying resilience in the face of unimaginable betrayal. The trial stands as a pivotal moment in addressing sexual violence and systemic abuse, with its outcome likely to resonate far beyond the courtroom.

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