Fox News CEO and Co-Founder Roger Ailes died Thursday morning at 77 years old, the news organization announced.
The network was informed of Ailes’s death by his wife Elizabeth. News anchors struggled to control their emotions as they read a statement written by Ailes’s wife.
“I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning,” the statement said.
“During a career that stretched over more than five decades, his work in entertainment, in politics, and in news affected the lives of many millions. And so even as we mourn his death, we celebrate his life,” the statement continued.
Ailes spent 20 years as the head of Fox, but he was removed last year amid claims of sexual harassment against him.
