Fox News anchor Shepard Smith said in a new interview with Huffington Post that ousted network chief Roger Ailes never urged him to keep his sexuality a secret, a rare reference to the news anchor's private life.
In the Huffington Post story, "Is Shep Smith the future of Fox News?," Smith said Ailes was like a father figure to him when he arrived at the network.
"(Fox is) such a wonderful place, and it's been home forever. (Ailes) was very fatherly and mentorish. And now I know that there were other things going on here," said Smith, 52.
Those "other things" included alleged sexual harassment of female employees and eventually led to Ailes' dismissal. Former anchor Gretchen Carlson settled a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox for $20 million in September. Former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros has filed a similar suit.
Smith has not addressed his sexuality in the past, though he was regularly included in Out's magazine's list of 50 most powerful gay people.
During his interview with the Huffington Post, Smith, a Mississippi native, denied reports Ailes prevented him from coming out publicly.
"That's not true. He was as nice as he could be to me. I loved him like a father," he said. "I trusted him with my career and with -- I trusted him and trusts were betrayed. People outside this company can't know (how painful that betrayal was.) This place has its enemies, but inside, it was very personal, and very scarring and horrifying."
Smith also addressed rumors that Ailes used homophobic slurs while Fox chief, referencing his own life in the comments.
"No, never. He treated me with respect, just respect," Smith said of Ailes. "I wasn't new in the business when I came here -- I'd been doing reporting for 12 years -- but I wasn't old in it either, and he gave me every opportunity in the world and he never asked anything of me but that we get it right, try to get it right every day. It was a very warm and loving and comfortable place."