Rafer Weigel: ‘Fox 32 let me go’

Rafer Weigel

Rafer Weigel, the Chicago television news anchor who got caught up in a tawdry scandal involving texts of nude photos and allegations of revenge porn, said he was fired Monday from Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.

Weigel, 50, had been on unpaid suspension as anchor of “Good Day Chicago” since October when three-way allegations of harassment and revenge porn surfaced involving a woman from Valparaiso, Indiana, with whom he was having an affair, and a former fiancee.

Although a Northwest Indiana court earlier this month dismissed the Valparaiso woman's revenge-porn case for lack of evidence, the damage to Weigel's reputation was done. He was never charged with a crime.

Fox 32 declined to comment on the matter or disclose its plans to replace Weigel on the newscast he co-anchored from 4 to 6 a.m. weekdays with Roseanne Tellez. But insiders confirmed that he’s out.

“Today my career at Fox 32 has come to an end,” Weigel wrote in a statement on social media. “Despite having my case cleared in court, Fox 32 let me go. I absolutely acknowledge I made some poor decisions in my life and have learned from them. For the past 90 days I have been in treatment for my addictions.”

Weigel’s statement was not specific, but friends said he was being treated for sex addiction. He also is a recovering alcoholic.

“I am grateful for the awareness this has brought me," he wrote. "It has put me on a permanent road to be a better man, father and worker.  My hope is my story will help others to get the help they need.

"I want to thank those at Fox 32 who lent their support. I will miss you.  While this journey has been more than difficult, I look forward to the future with my newfound perspective and dedication to wellness."

Weigel, son of the late Chicago sports anchor Tim Weigel and brother of radio talk show host Jenniffer 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.

From March through October of last year he had been co-anchoring “Good Day Chicago” with Tellez.