Fox Sports executive Charlie Dixon has been accused of being a “sexual predator” in a new lawsuit alleging he assaulted a reporter in 2016. The lawsuit comes just weeks after Dixon, an executive vice president overseeing content at FS1 and FS2, was mentioned in a high-profile complaint against Fox that also named Skip Bayless and Joy Taylor.
Dixon is now facing allegations of sexual assault from former Fox Sports anchor and reporter Julie Stewart-Binks, 38, in a lawsuit filed on Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Dixon allegedly forced Stewart-Binks against a wall, held her arms, and forcibly kissed her during a January 2016 meeting at a California hotel
Sexual Predator
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The incident allegedly took place at the hotel’s bar where they were discussing Super Bowl plans. Stewart-Binks claims she reported the incident to Fox’s HR department, but the network “egregiously made the deliberate decision to protect Dixon and allow a sexual predator to remain an executive at Fox for nearly a decade.”
In a statement to The Athletic, Fox responded, saying, ” These allegations are from over eight years ago. At the time, we promptly hired a third-party firm to investigate and addressed the matter based on their findings.”
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Stewart-Binks, who was part of FS1 from 2013 to 2016, was assigned a role on Jason Whitlock’s show for the 2016 Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers in Santa Clara.
Before the event, Dixon arranged to meet her at a hotel bar in Marina Del Rey, California, to discuss the assignment. However, during the meeting, he allegedly berated her, saying she wasn’t “funny, interesting, or talented” and that “the only way someone would watch you is if you got on top of this bar and took your top off.”
Following their conversation, Dixon invited Stewart-Binks to his hotel room, which she said immediately raised red flags. However, feeling pressured because he was her boss and believing she couldn’t refuse, she went upstairs.
Once they reached the room, Dixon allegedly “swiftly pushed her against the wall and pinned her arms to her side. With her arms forcefully held down and his body pressed against hers, Dixon tried to force his tongue into her mouth.”
Escaping the Horror
Stewart-Binks alleges in the lawsuit that she kept her mouth shut but Dixon “ignored her, continuing to press against her body and lick her closed mouth. While keeping one of her arms pinned, he moved his other arm from pressing her upper elbow against the wall to her body and towards her chest.”
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Stewart-Binks somehow fled the room and called a friend to share what had happened. However, she chose not to report the incident to Fox Sports, fearing it could jeopardize her future at the network, especially with her contract set to expire soon.
A few days later, while working on Whitlock’s Super Bowl show in San Francisco, she claims Fox Sports executives pushed her to create a “viral moment” with Rob Gronkowski, who had recently revealed he worked as a stripper in college.
Producers allegedly encouraged her to persuade the New England Patriots star to perform “Magic Mike moves” and even provided her with dollar bills to hand him during the act.
As Jason Whitlock watched and laughed, Gronkowski straddled Stewart-Binks on live television, thrusting his body near her face. At the time, she faced criticism for her involvement in the stunt.
In March 2016, a month after the Super Bowl, Stewart-Binks was informed that Fox Sports would not be renewing her contract.
A year later, in June 2017, a Fox HR representative reached out to her regarding an investigation into Jamie Horowitz, another executive at FS1.
While she said she had no information to provide about Horowitz, Stewart-Binks did take the opportunity to report her experiences with Dixon. She also named two Fox employees she had previously confided in, both of whom confirmed her account.
Horowitz was fired from Fox Sports in July 2017, but Dixon remained with the network. Around that time, then-Fox Sports president Eric Shanks addressed employees, emphasizing that ” everyone at Fox Sports should act with respect and adhere to professional conduct at all times. These values are non-negotiable.”
In the lawsuit, Stewart-Binks mentions that she felt a lingering frustration watching her former Fox colleagues succeed while she remained confined to covering smaller markets.
She later held roles at ESPN and CBC. Currently, she co-hosts a podcast with former NHL player Nate Thompson and works as a reporter for SNY.
This lawsuit adds to the ongoing controversies surrounding the network, following a case filed earlier this month by former FS1 stylist Noushin Faraji, which named Dixon, Joy Taylor, Skip Bayless, and Fox Corporation.
Her lawsuit includes allegations of sexual harassment, sexual battery, negligent supervision, retaliation, and other workplace misconduct spanning from 2012 to August 2024. Faraji claims that Bayless offered her $1.5 million in exchange for sex, while Dixon allegedly groped her buttocks.
She also accused Taylor of using personal relationships with former NFL player and co-host Emmanuel Acho, as well as Dixon, to advance her career.
The 38-year-old broadcaster Joy Taylor is also accused of plotting to secure her position at the network by making up a sexual misconduct claim against Dixon.
Taylor allegedly also dismissed Faraji’s complaints about sexual harassment by Bayless and Dixon, reportedly telling the stylist to “get over it.” While Fox issued a brief statement, Taylor, Bayless, and Acho have not publicly addressed the allegations.
