A former Fox Sports hairstylist, Noushin Faraji, has filed a lawsuit accusing ex-host Skip Bayless of making repeated unwanted advances, including offering her $1.5 million for sex.
The lawsuit, filed on Friday in California Superior Court, names Bayless, Fox Sports, and its parent company, Fox Corporation, and seeks unspecified damages.
Faraji alleges Bayless began harassing her in 2017, continuing until 2023. According to the complaint, his behaviour included lingering hugs, kisses on the cheek, and promises to “change her life” if she had sex with him. In 2021, Bayless allegedly made the $1.5 million offer, threatening her job when she refused.
“Ms. Faraji knew that he was trying to pressure her into having sex with him, but she kept repeating that she was a professional that had to be kind to all talent,” the lawsuit states.
Faraji also claims her firing in 2024 was based on “fabricated” reasons, alleging she initially stayed silent out of fear for her safety.
The complaint accuses Fox Sports of fostering a hostile work environment that enabled abuse by senior managers and on-air talent without accountability. Faraji’s lawsuit also alleges that Fox failed to pay employees full wages and overtime, seeking class-action status for other impacted workers.
Fox Sports, in a statement, acknowledged the allegations but declined further comment due to the pending litigation. Bayless, who worked at Fox until 2024 when his show was cancelled, could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Jared Levine, has not responded to requests for a statement.
This lawsuit follows previous sexual harassment allegations at Fox Sports, including the 2017 firing of its head of programming amid a similar probe.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on:
