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On Monday, April 24, Fox News Media announced that host Tucker Carlson has been removed from the network. According to BBC, the decision stems from a lawsuit accusing Carlson of sexism and harassment, stating that his behavior was a part of the misogynistic corporate culture at Fox. The superstar host's last day filming his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, was Friday, April 21.
Trigger warning: This article contains graphic mentions of harassment. Readers' discretion is advised.
The decision comes as a shock, as Tucker Carlson is the highest-rated single host on the network. He was reportedly informed of his termination on Monday morning. He has not yet commented to media outlets about the decision.
The series of incidents that led to Tucker Carlson being fired
As stated by a lawsuit filed by the Southern District of New York, former Fox employee Abby Grossberg has accused Tucker Carlson and Fox News Media of fostering a misogynistic culture.
The lawsuit claimed that the outlet circulated morphed images in which politician Nancy Pelosi's face was edited onto a swimwear-clad boy. As per NPR, on two separate occasions, staffers polled about which female gubernatorial candidates in Michigan they would rather have romantic relations with. They also reportedly regularly debated which female politicians were more attractive.
As per CNN, Grossberg also claimed that Fox News seniors would ask inappropriate questions to female employees during meetings or job interviews. When confronted about the allegations, senior executives at the company reportedly ignored the complaints. Grossberg said that when she brought the matter to light, company lawyers attempted to suppress her voice.
While Fox News has denied the allegations of sexism, Grossberg's lawyers have claimed that Carlson's resignation is effectively an admission of guilt. One of Grossberg's lawyers, Tanvir Rahman, said that Carlson was one of the primary perpetrators of the harassment and that he routinely bullied women in the workplace. Rahman said:
"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."
Grossberg also commended Carlson's termination, saying that this is a sign that Fox may take responsibility for the issue in the future. She also complained about the media company as a whole, alleging that they were quick to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories to propagate a right-wing agenda.
Fox News is currently still fighting two lawsuits filed by Abby Grossberg. Along with Carlson, executive producer Justin Wells has also been fired.
