Fox has released a brief statement after a bombshell lawsuit accuses Fox Sports employees Joy Taylor, Emmanuel Acho, Skip Bayless, and Charlie Dixon of sexual misconduct, retaliation, and much more.
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As we previously shared, Noushin Faraji, a former hairstylist for Fox Sports 1 (FS1), dropped a bombshell lawsuit in which she alleged that FS1 host Joy Taylor used sexual relationships with ex-NFL star and co-host Emmanuel Acho and Charlie Dixon, Fox Sports Executive Vice President in charge of talent, to further her career.
The lawsuit also accuses Taylor of scheming to protect her job at the network by lying about being sexually assaulted by Dixon if she was ever put on the chopping block. The lawsuit, filed on Friday (January 3) in Los Angeles Superior Court, stated, “… once Mr. Dixon was no longer useful to [Taylor], she would follow through on her plan to tell the company that he forced himself on her.”
In her bombshell lawsuit accusing Fox Sports employees of sexual misconduct, retaliation, and more, Noushin Faraji named Joy Taylor, Charlie Dixon, former FS1 host Skip Bayless, and the Fox Corporation. Faraji’s explosive lawsuit focuses on allegations of sexual harassment, sexual battery, negligent supervision, retaliation, and other alleged hostile workplace issues between 2012 and August of 2024.
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Some of those allegations include a claim that Skip Bayless offered $1.5 million to Noushin Faraji in exchange for sex. Another allegation claims Charlie Dixon groped Faraji’s buttocks. In the lawsuit, Joy Taylor is also accused of dismissing Faraji’s complaints about sexual harassment against Bayless and Dixon, allegedly telling the hair stylist to “get over it.”
Faraji also alleged that Taylor leveraged sexual favors to advance her career, first with Dixon and then with Acho, Taylor’s retired NFL linebacker co-host on the FS1 show ‘Speak.’ Additionally, Faraji alleged that Taylor began having an affair with Dixon in 2016, despite both employees being married at the time.
The bombshell lawsuit read, “In approximately May 2016, Ms. Taylor asked Ms. Faraji to meet for a drink in Santa Monica. When Ms. Faraji arrived, she found Ms. Taylor with an older man, Fox Sports Executive Vice President of Content, Mr. Dixon. As Executive Vice President, Mr. Dixon is responsible for overseeing all content and production on FS1. Ms. Faraji, however, did not know Mr. Dixon. From their body language, Ms. Faraji suspected that the pair were sleeping with each other, and although this concerned Ms. Faraji as she knew Ms. Taylor was recently married, Ms. Faraji kept her opinions to herself.”
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Joy Taylor was a fill-in host at the time and was later given a full-time role at the network, a move that Faraji alleged was made by Dixon despite Bayless strongly objecting. The lawsuit read, “Mr. Bayless later disclosed to Ms. Faraji that he did not want Ms. Taylor on the show, but Mr. Dixon was adamant that Ms. Taylor should star. At first, Mr. Dixon arranged a dinner between Mr. Bayless and Ms. Taylor where she arrived in provocative clothing and acted in a provocative manner. When that did not change Mr. Bayless’s opinion of Ms. Taylor, Mr. Dixon asked him to approve of her as a favor to him. Reluctantly, Mr. Bayless agreed to do so as a favor to his friend.”
Soon after her big promotion, Taylor split with her husband, Richard Giannotti, and Faraji alleged that it was because he found evidence of her being unfaithful. Her lawsuit read, “Around August 2016, Ms. Faraji attended a dinner with Ms. Taylor and her husband and Mr. Dixon and his wife. During the dinner, Ms. Taylor’s husband became suspicious that Ms. Taylor and Mr. Dixon were having a sexual relationship. Soon after the dinner, Ms. Taylor’s husband found evidence of the inappropriate relationship and divorced Ms. Taylor.”
While accusing Joy Taylor of using sex to advance her career with Emmanuel Acho, Noushin Faraji claimed she exchanged “her sexuality to get on a show” in 2020, when she attempted to get on Acho’s show. The lawsuit read, “Ms. Faraji did not know Mr. Acho but could tell that the two were romantically involved.” Faraji alleged that Taylor nearly admitted to having sex with both Acho and Dixon.
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Faraji’s lawsuit read, “A few months after meeting Mr. Acho at the lunch, Ms. Faraji noticed him in the hallway while at work. Ms. Faraji later asked Ms. Taylor if Mr. Acho also worked at Fox. Ms. Taylor confirmed and explained that she wanted Mr. Acho to eventually recommend her on the show ‘Speak for Yourself.’”
The complaint continued, “Ms. Faraji became alarmed and warned Ms. Taylor that she should probably not sleep with Mr. Dixon and Mr. Acho at the same time, as Mr. Dixon is a very powerful man that may become very angry. Ms. Taylor told her not to worry about it. She explained that she was also now powerful, and once Mr. Dixon was no longer useful to her, she would follow through on her plan to tell the company that he forced himself on her. She would not allow herself to be forced out by Mr. Dixon like other women talent.”
Following news of the bombshell Fox Sports sexual misconduct and retaliation lawsuit, Emmanuel Acho allegedly deleted a social media post of him praising Joy Taylor for her professionalism. Additionally, Fox has released a very brief statement, while Acho, Taylor, and Skip Bayless remain silent. Fox wrote, “We take these allegations seriously and will allow the legal process to run its course. We have no further comment at this time.”
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