Gretchen Carlson Reflects on Being ‘the Face of Sexual Harassment’ at Matrix Awards

Gretchen Carlson Reflects on Being 'the Face of Sexual Harassment' at Matrix Awards Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke The annual Matrix Award ceremony, which celebrates women in the communications industry, almost entirely avoided any mention of politics — a rare feat these days. The only explicit mention of the current administration during the lunchtime awards ceremony, which is administered by the organization New York Women in Communications and was held at the Time Square Sheraton, was a jab at the vice president. "We're friends, we're colleagues, we're competitors, we're rivals. But I'm sure there is one thing we can all agree on: this lunch is Mike Pence's nightmare," said Hearst chief content officer Joanna Coles, who received a Matrix Award in 2013, and spoke on behalf of Hearst, the event's corporate host. But there was plenty of mention of current events. Gretchen Carlson, who was one of the year's honorees, was celebrated for taking a stand against her former employer Fox News when she went public with a sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes last summer, which ultimately led to the network chairman's ouster. Over the past few weeks, Fox News has again been in the spotlight for its workplace culture after a New York Times report on allegations against Bill O'Reilly led to the host's dramatic departure from the network. Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Read More... Fashion 3