'He grabbed my head and shoved my face in his crotch': Gretchen Carlson reveals how media executive sexually assaulted her after she was crowned Miss America

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Gretchen Carlson has opened up about the sexual harassment and assault she endured for the past three decades of her professional career.

The former Fox News host sat down for a revealing interview set to air on 20/20 Friday night, and said it all started shortly after she was crowned Miss America in 1989 and met one man about a possible job in television.

'It was a shocking experience because with this particular man he spent most of the day helping me and I thought, "wow this guy is being so nice,"' said Carlson

'We went to dinner and we were in the backseat of the car going to my friend's college apartment at the end of the evening and before I knew it he was one top of me and his tongue was down my throat.'

Carlson, 50, then grew emotional as she described rushing out of the car and being inconsolable, vowing to never speak to that man again in her life.

Things got even worse though soon after during a trip to Hollywood.

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Opening up: Gretchen Carlson (above on 20/20) detailed some of the sexual harassment and assault she suffered after being crowned Miss America in 1989

Awful: One man she met with about getting a job in television tried to make out with her in the back of a car (Carlson above after being crowned Miss America)

'A couple of weeks later the same thing happened to me again in Los Angeles,' said Carlson.

'A very high-powered PR executive, and again we were in a car, and he grabbed my head and my neck and he shoved my face into his crotch so forcefully that I couldn't breathe.'

Carlson said she thought to herself in that moment: 'Is this happening to me again?' 

She also said that she felt that it was her fault in some ways, and feared that people would not believe her story. 

'I don't think we should judge women if they have waited because look at how we react to women when the finally do come forward,' said Carlson. 

'We have to make it a safer environment so it is no longer he said, she said, but maybe just she said.' 

Over the weekend, Carlson called on men to join the fight to end sexual harassment in a poignant op-ed published in The New York Times. 

'The most important part of this, in my mind, is men and women working together. This is not only a women’s issue. It’s a societal issue,' wrote Carlson.

The former Fox News host said that she had been dealing with many sleepless nights since she launched her own battle against sexual harassment in the workplace by filing a lawsuit against her former employer and the network's CEO Roger Ailes.

'I want to do everything I can to end sexual harassment in the workplace. I didn’t expect to be cast in this role,' wrote Carlson.

'But as a result of the news reports concerning my departure from Fox News, letters, emails and texts from victims of harassment have poured in to me, and I can’t turn away.'

Carlson also detailed the ways that men could help the cause, and what is needed to change things.

'Men need to hire more women and put them in higher positions of power within organizations,' wrote Carlson.

She then later added: 'Men also need to stop enabling harassers by egging them on or covering up or excusing their bad behavior.'

Carlson closed out the piece by stating: ' Women shouldn’t be expected to solve this issue alone. We need men to be onboard, too.'

Moving forward: Carlson (left) wrote a poignant op-ed calling for men to help in the fight to end sexual harassment, months after filing a suit against Ailes (right)

'Men need to hire more women and put them in higher positions of power within organizations,' wrote Carlson (above with her husband Casey Close)

Carlson will testify in front of Congress after the election about forced arbitration in employee contracts, something that affected her at Fox and made it more difficult for her to file a lawsuit against the network and her alleged harasser, Ailes. 

Carlson wrote in her court filing this summer about a conversation she had with Ailes in September of last year in which he allegedly said to her: 'I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you'd be good and better and I'd be good and better.'

That conversation allegedly occurred when Carlson went to speak with Ailes about what she believed were discriminatory practices at the network.

The popular Fox News host alleged that her refusal to have a sexual relationship with her boss was why she was let go on June 23 after 11 years with the network.

Ailes and reps at Fox News quickly denied her allegations, stating: 'Gretchen Carlson’s allegations are false. This is a retaliatory suit for the network’s decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup.'

That statement went on to say: 'When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit.

'Ironically, Fox News provided her with more on-air opportunities over her 11-year tenure than any other employer in the industry, for which she thanked me in her recent book.

'This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously.' 

Soon after releasing that statement Ailes was let go and the network settled with Carlson for $20million. 

Carlson is married to baseball agent Casey Close and has two children.