In an austere, four-sentence statement, Fox News announced Monday that primetime star Tucker Carlson is leaving the network, effective immediately.
"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," the network said. "Mr. Carlson's last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named."
The ouster of Fox's top opinion host comes less than a week after Fox settled an epic defamation lawsuit by an election technology company for $787 million over segments promoting the bogus claims that election fraud cheated then-President Donald Trump of victory in 2020.
Carlson featured prominently in Dominion Voting System's allegations against the network. On his show, he raised skeptical questions over the lack of evidence for assertions made by a key Trump ally, Sidney Powell. In January 2021, however, he hosted a leading advertiser, My Pillow founder Mike Lindell, who repeated the false claims once more.
Carlson did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
Carlson is also the focus of a lawsuit from his former senior booking producer, Abby Grossberg, who alleges his show's workplace was replete with examples of alleged sexism. Her lawsuit alleges, among other things, that mocked-up photographic images depicted then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "in a bathing suit revealing her cleavage" and that staffers were polled — on two separate occasions — on which of two female candidates for Michigan governor they would rather have sex with.
Carlson was by far the network's most prominent personality, stepping in smoothly to replace former star host Bill O'Reilly after a series of sexual harassment allegations forced his departure. (O'Reilly has denied those accusations.) He has also established a major footprint at Fox Nation, its streaming site that caters to an even more pronounced right-wing sensibility.
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