Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News in April 2023 for a combination of reasons, including offensive private text messages that came to light during the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit, a toxic work environment on his show, and concerns from executives that he was becoming a liability
. His ousting was not tied to any single event but rather a culmination of factors.
Factors surrounding Carlson's dismissal
Dominion lawsuit discovery
- During the discovery phase of Dominion's defamation lawsuit against Fox, private communications from Carlson were uncovered. In these messages, he expressed contempt for network management, used vulgar and misogynistic language toward colleagues, and privately criticized Donald Trump, despite defending him on air.
- A particularly alarming text message for Fox's board and executives was from January 7, 2021. In it, Carlson described watching a video of "an Antifa kid" being attacked by "three against one." He wrote that he found himself "rooting for the mob against the man" but was disturbed that the attackers were white, noting, "It's not how white men fight". This message worried the board about potential damage if it became public during the trial.
Producer's harassment lawsuit
- Just before Carlson's departure, former producer Abby Grossberg filed a lawsuit alleging a hostile and misogynistic workplace environment on his show. Her suit claimed she was subjected to sexist comments and bullying and was pressured by Fox lawyers to give misleading testimony in the Dominion case. Fox later settled with Grossberg for $12 million.
Executive concerns and liability
- Ultimately, network leadership, including Lachlan Murdoch, concluded that Carlson had become a greater liability than an asset.
- Beyond the specific lawsuits, Carlson's controversial rhetoric and promotion of conspiracy theories led to frequent advertiser boycotts, making his highly-rated show less profitable than it could have been.
- According to a book by journalist Brian Stelter, Rupert Murdoch reportedly concluded that Carlson had "gotten too big for his boots" and that his behavior was no longer tolerable.
While the settlement with Dominion was likely the final straw, Fox and Dominion both deny that Carlson's firing was a condition of the agreement. Carlson's final show aired on Friday, April 21, and Fox announced his departure the following Monday with no advance warning to him.
nypost.com
