Foes applaud Bill O'Reilly's ouster from Fox News

Bill O'Reilly's departure Wednesday from Fox News Channel drew strong, celebratory responses from foes who had sought his ouster since The New York Times reported that the cable network and O'Reilly had paid about $13 million to five women who complained they had been victims of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Other women also have complained about the top-rated Fox host, who is currently on a European vacation.

Lisa Bloom, a lawyer for three women accusing O'Reilly of misconduct, issued a "victory statement" praising the strength of women.

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"This is what happens when women speak our truth: We can slay dragons," she wrote. "I am very proud to have stood with my brave clients who stood up for themselves and all the silenced women. … Fox News should have fired him in 2004 when the first complaint was made, but at least they did it now. They did it because we persisted."

UltraViolet, a women's rights group that planned and participated in an O'Reilly protest Tuesday at Fox News headquarters in New York, applauded O'Reilly's departure on Twitter.

Color of Change, a racial justice organization, issued a dismissive, colloquial online goodbye to the Fox News host. The group's tweet included the hashtag #notyourhotchocolate, a reference to an African-American Fox News employee who says O'Reilly referred to her as "hot chocolate" and leered at her.

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, praised the efforts of women who pushed Fox News to cut ties with O'Reilly.

Some weren't letting Fox News off the hook, saying the cable network waited too long before taking action.

Women's March tweeted that O'Reilly's departure is only the beginning of the "fight for a world free from sexual violence and misogynoir," a coinage reflecting misogyny directed at black women.

Best-selling novelist Stephen King apparently didn't feel any allegiance to fellow author O'Reilly, commemorating his Fox News departure with a fictitious new entry in O'Reilly's Killing book series: Killing Bill O'Reilly.