Former Fox News Anchor Gretchen Carlson Has 'No Regrets' About 2016 Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Roger Ailes: 'I Found Purpose'

Former Fox News Anchor Gretchen Carlson hasn't lived with regrets in the decade since she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the network's late former CEO Roger Ailes in 2016.

In an interview with The Guardian, Carlson declared she "immediately found purpose" after filing the civil complaint against her boss, whom she claimed "sabotaged her career because she refused his sexual advances and [she] complained about severe and pervasive sexual harassment," per her legal filing.

"I have absolutely no regrets," Carlson shared while reflecting on the intense legal battle and how it led her to co-founding Lift Our Voices, a survivor advocacy group, in 2019 alongside Julie Roginsky — who also sued Ailes.

"I had no idea what was going to happen to me when I actually filed it 10 years ago," she said of the July 1016 civil complaint. "I thought I might be crying my eyes out for the rest of my life. Our main mission is to eradicate silencing mechanisms in the workplace. It’s that simple."

Carlson continued, "We, as Americans, have no idea what the mental health impact has been on people facing these kinds of experiences in their life, and on top of that, being silenced about it. We know it can’t be good."

"I always say that I may never own my own story, because I’m still under a very stringent NDA, which is why I can’t talk about the details of my case, but the work that I do every day is helping millions of people. It gives me great happiness to know that all of these other people have the possibility of getting justice," she added. "It’s work I never thought I’d be doing, but it gives me great, great satisfaction."

Carlson's lawsuit prompted several other women to come forward about their alleged experiences with Ailes, leading to his departure from Fox News and a reported $20 million settlement paid by the network.

The settlement came after Carlson claimed her career was impacted as a result of her denying Ailes advances, with her boss allegedly offering her fewer assignments for high-profile interviews and completely axing her routine segment on Bill O’Reilly’s nightly show.

According to Carlson's complaint, Ailes once said: "I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better Sometimes problems are easier to solve."