James Murdoch, the chief executive of 21st Century Fox, on Wednesday defended how the company responded to sexual harassment allegations against the former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, stating that he did not know the size of Mr. O’Reilly’s $32 million settlement until recently.

It was the first time that Mr. Murdoch had publicly addressed the controversy since The New York Times reported over the weekend that the company had granted Mr. O’Reilly a contract extension the month after he agreed to the settlement with a longtime Fox News legal analyst. At the time, the company was aware of at least six settlements involving harassment allegations against Mr. O’Reilly.

“The settlement wasn’t a company settlement, and that was news to me when we saw the number the other day,” Mr. Murdoch said, speaking at the Paley International Council Summit, a media conference, in New York.

“At the time, what you do is you deal with what you know,” he added. “You investigate things thoroughly. You do the best job you can with that, and you try to make the right decision.”