Wednesday’s episode of NBC’s long-running crime drama Law and Order: SVU will focus on a powerful news executive who has been accused of sexually assaulting one of his network’s on-air personalities.
The “ripped from the headlines”-styled episode, titled “The Newsroom,” centers around a news anchor played by Bonnie Somerville, who accuses her boss, Howard Coyle (Christopher McDonald), of rape.
In a preview clip provided to the Hollywood Reporter (below), Coyle denies the allegations, saying “there’s no merit to the story.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA2S3ZKWwKE
The episode appears to be inspired by former Fox News network chief Roger Ailes, who resigned following a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson.
While the episode appears to be styled to mimic the real-life drama surrounding Ailes, none of Ailes’ accusers, including former Fox News star anchor Megyn Kelly, have ever accused the former Fox News chief of rape.
The SVU episode comes on the heels of Bill O’Reilly’s resignation from Fox News last week, following an activist-driven advertiser boycott campaign and the publication of a New York Times investigation that reported that five women had received millions in payouts from O’Reilly or 21st Century Fox.
The episode airs Wednesday night on NBC.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson
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