A lawsuit against Fox Sports from a hairstylist accusing longtime talk show host Skip Bayless and network executive Charlie Dixon of making unwanted sexual advances has settled.
Noushin Faraji moved on Thursday to dismiss claims for sexual battery, hostile work environment and retaliation, among others, with her lawyers proceeding with the prospective class action over failure to pay minimum wage on behalf of other workers. Terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed.
“We are pleased that this matter has been resolved,” said Fox in a statement. “There will be no further comment.”
Earlier this year, Faraji accused Bayless of offering her $1.5 million for sex and Dixon of groping her at a 2017 birthday party. She alleged Fox terminated her at Dixon’s direction for disclosing information about his sexual relationships with network employees.
The case later caught the eye of Marcellus Wiley, the former co-host of FS1’s Speak for Yourself, who said that he’s considering suing the company for conspiring to replace him with Joy Taylor, though a lawsuit was never filed. Fouraji alleged that Taylor curried Dixon’s favor with sexual favors and dismissed her concerns of sexual harassment.
Also mentioned in the case was some of Fox Sport’s top broadcasting talent, including ex-Speak for Yourself host Emmanuel Acho, who was also allegedly engaged in a relationship with Taylor, according to the complaint. In 2022, the show was rebranded as Speak, with Taylor replacing Wiley.
When the lawsuit was filed, Wiley said in an interview that he realized he got “squeezed because Charlie and Joy and Acho are all running the triangle on me.”
Bayless, Dixon and Taylor are no longer with Fox. The former Undisputed host, who denied the allegations in Fouraji’s suit, left the network after his show was cancelled in 2024, around the time the show saw a dip in ratings due to the departure of co-host Shannon Sharpe.
Dixon, FS1’s executive producer of content, and Taylor have maintained their separation from Fox stemmed for reasons other than Fouraji’s lawsuit.
“According to the network, Mr. Dixon did not disclose to human resources or the legal department that a third-party production company had hired his wife as a temporary freelancer,” wrote John Ly, a lawyer for Dixon who’s also representing him in a separate lawsuit from a former Fox Sports reporter. In that case, Julie Stewart-Binks claimed Dixon in 2016 pushed her against a wall and forcibly kissed her.
Lawyers for Fouraji indicated they will continuing pursuing claims alleging that Fox engaged in fraudulent business practices by failing to pay minimum wages, reimburse business expenses and pay severance to other employees. They didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.