Rafer Weigel

Rafer Weigel has been suspended without pay as morning news anchor at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 after he became caught up in a controversy involving several women, texts of nude photos and allegations of revenge porn.

Fox 32 officials did not respond to requests for comment, but sources said the suspension, effective immediately, removes Weigel until further notice from “Good Day Chicago,” the newscast he co-anchors from 4 to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday with Roseanne Tellez.

Weigel, 50, declined to comment Thursday, but told friends he expects to be fully vindicated when the legal ordeal is over. Weigel has not been charged with a crime.

Coming to light at the outset of the November ratings sweep, details of the case may be more tawdry and convoluted than a TV movie. According to court documents, they involve relationships Weigel has had with three women, including one from Valparaiso, Indiana, who claimed Weigel harassed her after they broke up.

Earlier, Weigel received a protective order against the woman in Cook County Circuit Court. The order of protection has been extended until another court hearing next week.

Kathy Browne, a woman to whom Weigel was once engaged, has been charged with distribution of an intimate image involving photos of the first woman, which were taken from Weigel’s phone, according to the Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana.

In seeking a protective order against Weigel, the Valparaiso woman accused him of "attempting to use his powerful affluent position in Chicago to repeatedly harass me and has committed revenge porn by sending pictures to people,” according to the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Weigel, son of the late Chicago sports anchor Tim Weigel, worked as a sports anchor and reporter at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 and news anchor at KTVI, the Fox affiliate in St. Louis, before joining Fox 32 as a reporter and weekend anchor in 2017. Since March he had been co-anchoring “Good Day Chicago” with Tellez.