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5 Shocking Revelations About Donald Trump and Roger Ailes From Megyn Kelly’s Memoir

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
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By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
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November 11, 2016, 2:15 PM ET
Megyn Kelly
FILE - In this May 5, 2016 file photo, Megyn Kelly poses for a portrait in New York. Fox News boss Rupert Murdoch says that he wants to keep Kelly at the network, but if she decides to leave "we have a deep bench of talent, many of whom would give their right arm for her spot." Her contract is up next year. But Fox would like to map out its future sooner rather than later, perhaps even settling Kelly's status before the Nov. 15 publication of her book, "Settle For More." (Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP, File)Victoria Will—AP

Megyn Kelly’s relationship with Donald Trump just got even more complicated.

According to an early review from the New York Times, the Fox News anchor’s memoir, which is scheduled for release next week, contains some surprising revelations about the president-elect. Indeed, reviewer Jennifer Senior writes that she feels “nervous” for Kelly over the tell-all because of what Senior describes as Trump’s previous history of retaliating in “creepy, personal ways.”

Kelly’s relationship with Trump has been punctuated by their high-profile public clashes, beginning with the now-infamous 2015 Republican primary debate where Kelly, serving as moderator, brought up Trump’s derogatory statements about women (he had called them “pigs,” “dogs,” and “bimbos”). But the two appeared to have made peace late in the election cycle, with Trump appearing for a friendly interview on Kelly’s primetime special, Megyn Kelly Presents.

The book also reveals details of Kelly’s relationship with former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes—who left the network after being sued by former anchor Gretchen Carlson for sexual harassment. As reported in previous leaks from the memoir, Kelly says that Ailes made multiple sexual advances on her early in her career.

Here’s a look at what the Fox News anchor has to say about the two powerful men, according to the New York Times:

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1. Trump tried to use his influence to shape her (and other journalists’) coverage of him.

In the early days of the campaign, Trump tried to win over Kelly by offering her gifts and invitations to stay at his hotels. Kelly writes: “I was not the only journalist to whom Trump offered gifts clearly meant to shape coverage. Many reporters have told me that Trump worked hard to offer them something fabulous—from hotel rooms to rides on his 757.”

2. He threatened not to appear on The Kelly File unless its host called him personally.

After Kelly refused his gifts, he turned to bullying: “I almost unleashed my beautiful Twitter account against you,” Trump told Kelly, according to the book. The threat was in response to a segment she did that displeased him. (Later in the campaign, Trump tweeted repeatedly about Kelly, calling her “overrated,” “angry,” and “crazy.”)

3. He saw Kelly’s question his remarks about women coming.

According to Kelly’s memoir, the then-presidential candidate called Fox News executives prior to the first GOP debate, saying he’d heard that her first question “was a very pointed question directed at him.”

 

4. He was closer to Roger Ailes than previously thought.

“Every time he started in,” Kelly writes of Trump’s Twitter attacks on the network, “I’d get a call from Roger (who was getting calls from Trump). Was I being fair to Trump? Was I being too hard on him? He felt the bar for skeptical Trump coverage should be higher.”

5. Ailes threatened to terminate Kelly’s contract when she rebuffed his advances.

Kelly writes that, in 2006, Ailes tried to grab and kiss her. After she dodged him twice, he asked her: “When is your contract up?” before lunging at her a third time.

Fortune has reached out to representatives of Donald Trump and Fox News for comment. We will update this post when and if they respond.

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By Valentina Zarya
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