By Jonathan Stempel and Anna Driver

Sept 6 (Reuters) – Fox News has reached a $20 million settlement of former anchor Gretchen Carlson’s sexual harassment lawsuit against the network’s former chief Roger Ailes, Vanity Fair said on Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the settlement.

Fox News parent 21st Century Fox Inc confirmed the settlement but did not announce the terms and offered Carlson a public apology.

“We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve,” the media company said in a statement.

It is unclear how much Ailes himself might pay but Fox News, part of 21st Century Fox, essentially insures Ailes against any settlement, the magazine said, citing two people familiar with the arrangement.

Carlson has voluntarily dismissed her federal lawsuit in New Jersey against Ailes, a court filing shows.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Anna Driver in New York; Editing by Bill Trott)