'Fox News has bought off a lot of women': Andrea Tantaros reveals she turned seven-figure settlement in sexual harassment case because network wanted her 'eternal silence' 

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Andrea Tantaros gave her first interview since filing a sexual harassment suit in August against Fox News, former CEO Roger Ailes and a number of high-ranking executives at the network.

The former host of The Five and Outnumbered sat down with Amy Robach on Good Morning America to talk about why she filed her lawsuit, and explain why she later turned down a seven-figure settlement from the network. 

Tantaros explained that she refused the money because of what was required of her if she agreed to the terms.

'They wanted to guarantee my eternal silence which was never going to happen,' said Tantaros.

She stated that what she wanted instead was a 'culture change' at Fox News, saying at one point: 'Fox News has plenty of money, they’ve bought off a lot of women. What they don’t have is accountability.'

Fox News responded by pointing to the claims made in their response to Tantaros' original complaint, and has stated in the past: 'We stand by our earlier motion to compel arbitration.'

Meanwhile, a source close to the situation disputes Tantaros' claims that she was set to get a settlement, telling DailyMail.com: 'There was never a direct settlement offered – it was an agreement and release form that Fox would continue to pay her under her contract’s pay or play provision. No additional money of any kind was offered.' 

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First interview: Andrea Tantaros appeared on Good Morning America (above) to speak for the first time about her sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News

The man: Tantaros revealed that she turned down a seven-figure settlement from Fox News because the network asked for her 'eternal silence' (Former CEO Roger Ailes and wife Elizabeth above)

Robach started off the interview by asking Tantaros to respond to the the claims being made by Fox News that she is not a 'victim' but rather an 'opportunist' who came forward with her complaint in the wake of Gretchen Carlson's lawsuit against the company.

'I had been complaining about sexual harassment and retaliation a year before the scandal even broke out at Fox News channel,' said Tantatros. 

'And my complaints crescendoed about harassment and retaliation, and when they got to a fever pitch that's the point when all of the sudden they make up this context that I had violated a book contract.'

Tantaros claims in her complaint that after multiple complaints about sexual harassment to executives at Fox she was taken off the air in April of this year, just as she was to begin promotion of her book.

According to her lawsuit that letter came 'the day before the publication date of Tantaros' book and 12 hours before she was slated to appear on Fox and Friends to launch the book and embark on a media tour.'

She has not been on Fox News since that time, though she is still being paid by the network.

It is unclear however if her appearance on ABC Tuesday was a violation of her contract.

'They had approved my book. I had not violated any of the contractual guidelines so it was just made up to basically act as a smokescreen for their behavior,' said Tantaros on GMA.

'I was demoted from a show I launched, The Five, after I rebuffed Roger Ailes. And then I had my book destroyed 12 hours before the launch. 

'I mean, they could have come to me and said we have objections with the book. My lawyer had been in contact with them for weeks, and they didn't do that. 

'It was deliberately designed to hurt me and cause me pain. And that's what they did there.' 

Fox News meanwhile wrote in their response to Tantaros' complaint last month: 'Tantaros was suspended months ago by Fox News for breaching her Employment Agreement by writing an unauthorized book and is a party to a pending arbitration proceeding before the AAA.'

Statement: 'Fox News has plenty of money, they’ve bought off a lot of women. What they don’t have is accountability,' said Tantaros (above with Amy Robach and lawyer Judd Burstein)

Response: Fox News said in a September court filing in response to Tantaros' lawsuit that she is not a 'victim' but rather an 'opportunist' (Tantaros on left, Ailes on right)

When then asked by Robach why she thanked Ailes in her book if he had been harassing her for so long at the network, Tantaros responded by saying: 'You had to thank Roger Ailes or your book didn't get published. And if you notice, it's the most carefully crafted non-thank you. I wrestled for hours with that thank you.'

She then detailed what would have been expected of her is she had taken the seven-figure lawsuit being offered by Fox News, and why she turned it down. 

'Well first of all, the seven-figure lawsuit would have had me renouncing my sexual harassment complaints. 

'Two, they wanted me to publicly admit, lie basically to the public, and say that I violated my book contract, which I didn't do! So, I wasn't going to lie.

'Three, they wanted to guarantee my eternal silence, which was never going to happen. What they don't have is accountability, and that's why I'm speaking out.'

 Robach then asked Tantaros what it is that she does want, to which she said: 'I think a culture change at Fox News is in order. It's a culture of misogyny and sexism and if you get vocal about it, if you get loud, they will act punitively.'

Tantaros is asking for $50million from the network in her lawsuit. 

Carlson reportedly received $20million to settle her sexual harassment complaint while Ailes walked away with $40million after stepping down as CEO in July.