In a surprising twist of events, Fox News issued a brief statement that their prime-time star, Tucker Carlson, will be leaving the news network, effective immediately.
In their statement, the network expressed gratitude for Carlson’s service as a host and contributor, “FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and, prior to that, as a contributor.”
Carlson’s last day as host was Friday, April 21, and the decision to end his tenure was reportedly made by Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and Fox Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch.
Surprisingly, even after the announcement on Monday, Fox News continued to advertise an interview between Carlson and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy scheduled for later that day.
Fox News settled defamation lawsuit for $787 million
The departure of Carlson comes less than a week after Fox News settled a massive defamation lawsuit filed by election technology company Dominion Voting Systems for over $787 million.
The suit was in response to election fraud claims aired on the network, which claimed that the 2020 election result was stolen from then-President, Donald Trump.
Carlson featured heavily in Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit, further complicating his position at Fox News.
In addition to the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit, Carlson was also the target of a lawsuit from his former senior booking producer, Abby Grossberg.
She accused Carlson and the network of sexism and harassment and filed two separate lawsuits.
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Carlson and Network accused of ‘workplace misogyny’
Grossberg’s allegations included workplace misogyny and mocked-up photographic images of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in revealing attire, as well as polling on the attractiveness of two female candidates for Michigan governor.
One of Grossberg’s attorneys, Tanvir Rahman, stated in a press release, “Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News is, in part, an admission of the systemic lying, bullying, and conspiracy-mongering claimed by our client.”
“Mr. Carlson and his subordinates remain individual defendants in the S.D.N.Y. case, and we look forward to taking their depositions under oath in the very near term.”
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Fox’s legal team also hit with a lawsuit
Furthermore, Fox News removed Justin Wells, the senior executive producer of Carlson’s show, who was named a defendant in the lawsuit.
Another lawsuit filed by Grossberg focuses on the actions of Fox’s legal team. She says she was pressured to lie in her sworn statements for the defamation case about what she witnessed at the network.
While Fox News vehemently denied the allegations against its lawyers, it fired Grossberg after her lawsuits were filed, alleging that she disclosed privileged information illegally.
This is ‘justice’ for the American people – Grossberg
Grossberg expressed satisfaction with Carlson’s departure, saying, “This is a step towards accountability for the election lies and baseless conspiracy theories spread by Fox News, something I witnessed firsthand.”
“This is some justice for the American people and for Fox News viewers who’ve been manipulated and lied to for years, all in an attempt to boost the channel’s ratings and revenue,” she said.
As Fox News searches for a permanent replacement, the network will have a rotating group of hosts fill Carlson’s prime-time slot. Carlson was Fox News’ most prominent personality, having taken over from former star host Bill O’Reilly following O’Reilly’s departure due to sexual harassment allegations (which O’Reilly has denied).
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