Gene Simmons Banned From Fox News For Life
Gene Simmons has always carried himself with a no-frills demeanor, acting with sharp wit that occasionally sparks some controversy. He is as successful in business as he has been in music with KISS and swung by Fox News to discuss his new book, On Power, which fuses both realms to reveal the secrets to obtaining wealth and influence. During his visit, Simmons acted with such reprehensible behavior that it led to his lifetime ban at the cable news network, where has has been a longtime and reoccurring guest.
The Daily Beast reports that the ban came after Simmons made appearances on Fox & Friends and on the Fox Business Network program Mornings With Maria, followed by an intrusion on a staff meeting. As a guest on Fox & Friends, Simmons leapt up from the couch where he was seated with the rest of the panel to crash the weather report, which meteorologist Janice Dean enthusiastically welcomed as seen in the clip below.
MUST SEE: @genesimmons helps @JaniceDean with the weather! pic.twitter.com/EFfRQESNuq
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) November 15, 2017
When Fox & Friends resumed as planned, Simmons, known for his sexual appetite, was asked for his thoughts on the sexual misconduct scandal involving Hollywood film producer Harvey Weintstein. “The lunatics have taken over the insane asylum when respected business entities such as yourself ask guys that like to stick their tongues out what I think of Harvey Weinstein,” the KISS icon said in response. Continuing, Simmons went on, “Okay, I’m a powerful and attractive man, and what I’m about to say is deadly serious. Men are jackasses. From the time we’re young we have testosterone. I’m not validating it or defending it.”
He then made his way to the 14th floor of Fox’s office to do an interview about On Power, where he interrupted a staff meeting, shouting out loud, “Hey chicks, sue me” as he opened his shirt, exposing his entire torso. Simmons wasn’t done with the meeting’s attendees, who were then subject to pedophilic jokes about Michael Jackson. Two of the staffers were even struck on the head with the On Power book as the KISS bassist / singer made assumptions about their level of intelligence based off the sound that resulted from the blow.
Complaints about Simmons’ behavior made their way to Kevin Lord, a human resources executive at Fox, resulting in a his lifetime ban at the network’s Manhattan headquarters.
After Simmons’s misconduct was reported to a supervisor, and then to human-resources executive Kevin Lord, the Kiss frontman was permanently banned from the building and will no longer be permitted on any Fox News or Fox Business Network programming.
His interview with FoxNews.com, meanwhile, was taped but will not be published.
UPDATE: Simmons released a statement: “I have appeared frequently over the years on various Fox News and Fox Business programs and have a tremendous amount of respect for the talented women and men who work there. While I believe that what is being reported is highly exaggerated and misleading, I am sincerely sorry that I unintentionally offended members of the Fox team during my visit.”
Loudwire
