Roger Ailes Cause of Death: How Did Ailes Die?

Roger Ailes from “Fox News” speaks onstage during the 2006 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour (Getty)

Roger Ailes, the embattled Fox News chairman whose career crumbled under sexual harassment accusations, has died at the age of 77.

What was his cause of death?

The Palm Beach Medical Examiner announced on May 18 that Ailes died of “complication of a subdural hematoma after he fell at home injuring his head.” The Los Angeles Times reported, “Hemophilia contributed to his death & the manner of death was accidental. No evidence of foul play.”

According to TMZ, Ailes died after he “fell at his Florida home 8 days ago and hit his head.” TMZ reports: “We’re told Ailes fell unconscious and his condition went downhill. Our sources say he fell into a coma Wednesday and died Wednesday night.”

New York Magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman reported that Ailes died of a blood clot. “Per 2nd family friend on cause of death: Ailes fell in Palm Beach and had a blood clot from the fall. He suffered complications,” he wrote on Twitter.

Sherman noted, “Several days ago, Ailes called a friend and said, “Well, if you want to know if I’m suicidal the answer is no.” He tweeted, “Ailes suffered whole life from hemophelia, had multiple surgeries and joint replacements.”

Ailes died on May 17, and Fox News, which he notoriously led until resigning in July over sexual harassment accusations, confirmed his death the next day.

In addition, Ailes had suffered a series of health issues over the years. At times, he had trouble walking on his own. New York Magazine reported in a profile about Ailes that Ailes, who was born in May 1940 in Warren, Ohio, “suffered from hemophilia.”

Fox News chairman Roger Ailes is helped to his car by his wife Elizabeth Tilson as they leave the News Corp building, July 19, 2016 in New York City. (Getty)

Throughout his life, as a result, he “was often homebound from school, so he spent hours on the living-room couch watching variety shows and Westerns,” reported the magazine, which led to his fascination with television.

Ailes’ wife, Elizabeth, released a statement confirming that Ailes had died on the Drudge Report, which broke the story. Here’s what that statement said:

I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning. Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many. He was also a patriot, profoundly grateful to live in a country that gave him so much opportunity to work hard, to rise—and to give back. 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…

In 2008, Ailes bought The Putnam County News and Recorder (PCNR) and made Elizabeth, his wife, the paper’s publisher. He also bought the local Putnam County Courier in 2009, where Elizabeth is also publisher.

According to her bio on the paper’s site, Elizabeth was a veteran of NBC News and has a B.S. in Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. She was the first producer CNBC hired. She worked at CNBC until 1996, according to her website. You can read more about Ailes’ wife here.

The couple had a son, Zachary.

According to CNN, Ailes built Fox News from the ground up in 1996, making it a “ratings powerhouse,” before his career crumbled amidst sexual harassment allegations and settlements.

It was the second high-profile death of the day. Chris Cornell, of the band Soundgarden, also died. You can read more about his cause of death here: