Right- wing prime-time host Tucker Carlson is leaving Fox News instantly, the cable television network revealed Monday.
The statement came days after Fox News’ moms and dad business settled Dominion Voting Systems’ character assassination suit for $7875 million. The business’s hosts were not needed to speak about the suit, or make an apology for it, as part of the settlement, CNBC formerly reported.
“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” the business stated in a declarationMonday “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
There will be no send-off for Carlson, as his last program airedFriday Carlson had actually signed off Friday stating he would be backMonday Carlson’s program, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” has actually long been among Fox’s leading ranked programs.
The business would not comment beyond the release, or around whether Carlson was being removed air in action to the Dominion character assassination case. Fox News did not provide a declaration on Carlson’s behalf.
Fox Corp. Class A shares shut down about 3% on Monday.
News of Carlson’s exit began the very same day that CNN anchor Don Lemon stated he ‘d been fired from the network and a day after NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell was dismissed for having an unsuitable relationship with a staff member.
Carlson, 53, was amongst the Fox hosts and executives who were questioned as part of the Dominion suit. Several of his e-mails and texts became part of the proof launched prior to the settlement, also. In addition, Dominion’s lawyers had actually noted about 20 episodes that appeared on Fox’s networks as proof of character assassination, with Carlson’s amongst them.
Other hosts who were deposed and part of the proof consisted of Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, in addition to previous host Lou Dobbs.
Dominion taken legal action against Fox and its networks, arguing the networks “intentionally and falsely” blamed Dominion for the 2020 loss of previous President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden by airing unverified claims that the business’s devices rigged the election.
Carlson was amongst the leading anchors who revealed shock and hesitation behind the scenes about remarks being made on air, especially by visitors like pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell.
“It’s unbelievably offensive to me. Our viewers are good people and they believe it,” Carlson stated in one text in the weeks after the election, court documents reveal.
Dominion indicated the drop in Fox’s audience following election night, when the network called Arizona forBiden Behind the scenes, Carlson and his fellow hosts revealed “the threat to them personally.” In a message to his manufacturer onNov 5, Carlson stated: “We worked really hard to build what we have. Those f—-ers are destroying our credibility. It enrages me.”
In the weeks following the election, Fox hosted Powell, in addition to Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on air at which point they duplicated the incorrect claims that Dominion rigged the election.
And while Carlson just recently hosted Trump on Fox News in current weeks after his indictment in New York, Carlson had actually called Trump “a demonic force” afterJan 6, when a violent mob of Trump advocates breached the U.S. Capitol.
Carlson was amongst the witnesses slated to affirm had actually the suit gone to trial. On that list of witnesses was likewise Abby Grossberg, a previous Fox manufacturer who dealt with the programs of Bartiromo and Carlson.
In the weeks leading up to the set up trial start date, Grossberg stepped forward declaring she was pushed into offering deceptive testament as part of the Dominion suit. Fox has actually stated Grossberg made “unmeritorious legal claims, which are riddled with false allegations against Fox and our employees.”
Grossberg’s lawyers stated in court documents that she was fired by Fox in retaliation. She has actually submitted claims versus Fox in New York and Delaware, implicating the network of discrimination.
Grossberg cheered Carlson’s departure in a declaration Monday, stating, “This is a step towards accountability for the election lies and baseless conspiracy theories spread by Fox News, something I witnessed firsthand at the network, as well as for the abuse and harassment I endured while Head of Booking and Senior Producer for Tucker Carlson Tonight. I think this is great for America! It’s a big win for viewers of cable news, not just those who watch Fox.”
Carlson took control of Bill O’Reilly’s prime-time show slot on Fox in 2017 after O’Reilly left the network under debate. O’Reilly has actually been implicated of unwanted sexual advances by numerous previous Fox workers. He has actually rejected the accusations.
While the Dominion suit was not likely to impact Fox’s organization, it was uncertain the toll it would handle its programs and hosts.
Shortly after Smartmatic, another ballot tech business, taken legal action against Fox for character assassination in 2021, Dobbs’ weekday program on Fox Business was canceled. Dobbs is called as an offender in the Smartmatic suit, which is continuous and isn’t slated to go to trial up until2025 At the time, Fox stated the program’s cancellation remained in the works prior to the suit.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the moms and dad business of CNBC.
