Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson filed suit Wednesday against Fox News CEO and Chairman Roger Ailes, claiming she was fired after refusing his sexual advances. Ailes insists the allegations are false.

Carlson, who until June 23rd had been a fixture on the network for 11 years, alleges Ailes repeatedly made “sexual advances by various means.” The former Miss America claims the 76-year-old Ailes ogled her, repeatedly commented about her legs and urged her to wear clothes that enhanced her figure, while telling her she was sexy — but “too much work.” Carlson alleges she was removed as host of the morning show Fox & Friends in 2013 and her pay reduced because she had complained about sexual harassment. She was transferred to a less prestigious afternoon slot and replaced on the show by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, lured to Fox News from ABC’s The View.

At a meeting this past September with Ailes, the executive allegedly told the married mother of two, “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.”

Ironically, Carlson had requested the meeting to “bring to an end the retaliatory and discriminatory treatment she had endured.” The eight-page suit goes on to say her refusal to give into Ailes’ advances led to further retaliation. Those punishments included cutting back on the political interviews she conducted and stopping her regular appearances on the top-rated O’Reilly Factor with Bill O’Reilly. It ended with an abrupt, unannounced exit from Fox News at the end of her contract.

Rival CNN smelled blood, reporting, “The lawsuit is a bombshell that could have serious consequences for Fox. In the tight-knit, ultra-competitive television business, there was immediate speculation about whether other women at Fox would come forward to back up Carlson’s claims.”

Indeed, Carlson’s attorney, Nancy Erika Smith said she’d heard from other women at Fox News who had experienced similar behavior, but would not name them. However, her law firm told CNNMoney that in the hours since the lawsuit was filed, “at least 10” other women have contacted the firm wanting to speak about Ailes.

Ailes issued a vigorous denial of Carlson’s allegations, saying, in part, “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.”

However, The Hollywood Reporter observed, “For the second quarter of 2016, Carlson still easily won her time slot among cable news shows.” So did Ailes want even more, comparable to its top primetime stars Megan Kelly or Bill O’Reilly? Or does Carlson have a valid complaint? The site also noted, “But, at 1.15 million viewers and 183,000 adults 25-54, she ranked an admittedly mediocre No. 14 among all FNC programs.”

Fox News parent company 21st Century Fox announced it has “commenced an internal review of the matter.”

Carlson herself said in a statement, “I have strived to empower women and girls throughout my entire career. Although this was a difficult step to take, I had to stand up for myself and speak out for all women and the next generation of women in the workplace.”

Raised Lutheran, the Minnesota-born granddaughter of a pastor told LIFE Today how her Christian faith has carried her through public criticism and overwhelming pressure. Perhaps some hint of the pressure she felt at Fox News can be found in an interview she did with World magazine upon the 2015 release of her book Getting Real. 

I always say I work more for my son than for my daughter, because I face some struggles in the workplace in being a strong woman. I want him to respect me first and foremost, but then when he gets into the workforce, I want him to look at his other female colleagues and say, “Oh, yeah, my mom used to be like that,” and have the same amount of respect for them as he does for me. In a nutshell, inspirational, empowering.

You can read the entire lawsuit here.