'Beyond inappropriate': Eric Bolling calls out Bill O'Reilly for invoking his deceased son

Man. If Bill O’Reilly’s trying to garner sympathy, he’s doing it wrong. Like, really wrong.

O’Reilly recently spoke to a pair of New York Times reporters regarding their article about his reported $32 million sexual harassment claim settlement. That was when he invoked former Fox News colleague Eric Bolling’s 19-year-old son, who passed away earlier last month. Here’s what he said:

“I urge you to think about what you put in your newspaper. Eric Bolling’s son is dead. He’s dead, because of allegations made, in my opinion — and I know this to be true — against Mr. Bolling.”

Bolling responded to O’Reilly’s assertion this afternoon:

Eric Bolling responds to O'Reilly statement to NYT that Bolling's son died because of allegations against his father https://t.co/dfzQGkVeHD pic.twitter.com/664jOp21MB

— Emily Steel (@emilysteel) October 23, 2017

Though Bolling’s response is pretty restrained, it’s clear he’s disgusted. And who could blame him?

How dare anyone bring up the Bolling's tragedy that way. What's wrong with O'Reilly?

— mrsk (@mrsdianek) October 23, 2017

https://twitter.com/Zingzangboom/status/922567501812080640

Sad a dad still has to defend his son posthumously. Children are off limits. Period. Decent people know this without having to be told.

— Monique Pressley (@MoniquePressley) October 23, 2017

My sympathies to Eric Bolling. It's sick that Bill O'REILLY would do this to a grieving father and family.

— Stomping My Furry Paws ?? (@Dakota_Mom2) October 23, 2017

Don’t particularly like @ericbolling, but how awful and disgusting from @BillOReilly to use this young man’s death to cover for his sins. https://t.co/w4HhXwIZ1X

— The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) October 23, 2017

https://twitter.com/FLGatorKing/status/922569599937257472

O'Reilly is quite the piece of work, and I mean that in the worst possible way.

— Dee B (@deebee52) October 23, 2017

* * *

Update:

O’Reilly has apologized:

Apologies to Eric Bolling and prayers for him and his family. The message I tried to send was that allegations harm kids. Nothing more.

— Bill O'Reilly (@BillOReilly) October 23, 2017