The headlines blared the “news.”
“Eric Bolling Jr. died emotionally wrecked by his father’s Fox News scandal, report says,” screamed The Mercury News.
“ERIC CHASE BOLLING, JR.DIED IN BED After Suffering ‘Emotional Torture’,” yelled TMZ.
“Eric Bolling’s Son Struggled With The Fired Fox News Host’s Sexual Harassment Scandal Just Before His Untimely Death,” PerezHilton.com screeched.
The headlines — all from far-left publications — of course made their way into the mainstream media. Why else would a 19-year-old young man have died just hours after his father had been forced out of Fox News following allegations that he texted photos of his privates to several women?
That’s the story the media wanted, but as is so often the case, it’s not rooted in reality.
No one yet knows the cause of death for young Eric — the coroner hasn’t issued a report. An autopsy has been completed but the results won’t be known for up to eight weeks. This much is known: He was found in bed in what was reported as a “normal position” under the covers. There was no suicide note. And there were no bottles of pills — or any drug paraphernalia — in his apartment near the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was studying economics in his second year.
But Eric’s cause of death was immediately reported by some news outlets as suicide, which forced his father — in his utmost grief — to have to post on Twitter that “authorities have informed us there is no sign of self harm at this point.”
And, also of course, you haven’t read much about this since Eric’s death occurred. But reporters — like, actually reporters, the ones who go out there, talk to people, gather facts — got to work and have written some interesting stories since his death.
“Eric Bolling’s son was not in distress over dad losing Fox News job, friend says,” wrote NJ.com.
Days after the death of former Fox News host Eric Bolling’s son, one of the college student’s friends is pushing back on a story claiming that he was emotionally distressed over publicity about his father. …
A female friend who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disputed that account, however, telling local news outlet DailyCamera.com that Bolling was “proud” of his father.
“He lived life to the fullest,” she reportedly said. “He was your average college student. Just an awesome guy.”
The friend went on to say that Bolling frequently talked about his father and his job at Fox News. She said Eric Jr. was grateful to his dad for the life he gave him, according to the report.
The news organization cited by NJ.com, the DailyCamera.com, also reported that Eric’s friend “said what has made her friend’s death harder has been the negative comments and speculation online. Even Bolling’s Facebook page on Monday had comments mocking him and his father.”
“‘I understand his dad was fired,’ she said. ‘But me and my friends are so pissed off at social media.'”
“He would always talk about his dad being on Fox News,” she said.
“It’s not like I really cared, since I just wanted to be his friend. But he talked about it, and he was proud of his dad. He said he had the life that he had due to his father.” …
‘That’s not the Eric we know,” she said. “Yes, he cared about his dad, but he was a strong man. He’d faced adversity before and he always came back stronger than ever before.”
But still, nobody knows anything. And they won’t for weeks.
The Five, on which Bolling Sr. was a co-host, paid tribute to him on Monday.
“[The Bollings] are in our prayers and the prayers of the entire Fox News family,” co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle said. “Eric Chase brought so much love and joy to his parents’ life. If you watched our show over the years, you probably heard Eric proudly talk about his sweet son, who was a baseball player like his dad, playing left field.”
Eric Bolling Sr. was a loving dad and his son as a wonderful young man. That much is certain.