(Scypre.com) – On Friday, Fox News reached a settlement of $12 million in a lawsuit filed by a former producer, Abby Grossberg. The lawsuit alleged that Tucker Carlson’s show fostered an abusive work environment characterized by bigotry, misogyny, and bullying.
Grossberg’s legal action played a significant role in Carlson’s departure from the network earlier this year. It also influenced the resolution of a high-profile defamation lawsuit brought against Fox by Dominion Voting Systems regarding false claims of election fraud in 2020.
In a statement issued by her attorney, Tanvir Rahman, Grossberg expressed hope that the settlement would signify a positive step by the network in addressing workplace treatment of women and minorities.
As the former chief booker of guests for Carlson’s now-canceled show, Grossberg claimed that she experienced a hostile work environment marred by sexism and anti-Semitism. She cited instances such as explicit images of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi displayed around the office and a supervisor’s inappropriate remarks regarding female candidates for the Michigan governor’s race.
Grossberg alleged that her boss, Justin Wells, admitted she was paid less than her male counterparts. She also claimed that derogatory comments about her Jewish faith were constant.
Central to her lawsuit was the assertion that the show’s culture mirrored Carlson’s own sensibilities, including the sexist and racist remarks he frequently made on air. Grossberg mentioned that her complaints were dismissed by a supervisor who stated, “We’re just following Tucker’s tone.” She firmly believed that such behavior stemmed from the top.
Grossberg described Carlson as having made her life miserable, while Carlson denied any knowledge of her and stated that they had never met. Grossberg disputed this, asserting that she regularly participated in team calls. She further accused male executives at Fox of belittling and demeaning female show hosts, including Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro.
Fox News released a statement expressing satisfaction with the resolution of the matter without further litigation. The settlement also absolved Carlson, Wells, and other Fox executives named in Grossberg’s lawsuit from legal jeopardy.
Grossberg’s involvement also extended to another dismissed lawsuit where she claimed that Fox’s legal team had pressured her to provide false testimony in a deposition related to the Dominion suit. Dominion had sued Fox for repeatedly airing baseless claims that the company had manipulated the 2020 election against Donald Trump.
In her suit, Grossberg stated that she felt compelled to lie about Carlson’s use of derogatory language toward a female ally of Trump when questioned by Dominion’s attorneys. She believed that Fox colleagues frequently expressed misogynistic sentiments in her presence. Fox denied her allegations of intimidation, but the judge in the case reprimanded the network’s attorneys for their tactics.
Following her termination, Grossberg revealed that she possessed numerous recordings of private conversations among Fox journalists. Just before the defamation trial, she offered to become a key witness for Dominion. Subsequently, the network reduced its criticism of her and settled the Dominion case by paying $787.5 million. While Fox did not apologize for spreading baseless claims on air, the disclosure of the settlement amount was seen as an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. A week later, the network canceled Carlson’s program and engaged in disputes with him over his plans for political commentaries on social media platforms.
The substantial amount paid to Grossberg by Fox drew attention, indicating the network’s willingness to pay significant sums to move past the controversies surrounding its coverage of the 2020 election aftermath. Despite the settlement, Fox still faces ongoing legal challenges, including a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Smartmatic, another voting-tech company, and suits involving dissatisfied shareholders targeting the leadership of Fox Corp.
Grossberg’s lawsuit prompted discussions about the extent of change in Fox’s workplace since previous legal battles concerning sexual harassment and misconduct.
Lawsuits related to such issues led to the ousting of former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes and prominent hosts Bill O’Reilly and Ed Henry, among others. Gretchen Carlson, a former host on Fox & Friends, received a $20 million settlement in her 2016 lawsuit against Ailes, in which she had presented evidence of his sexual advances. Ailes was later paid $40 million in severance. The total costs associated with the larger sexual harassment scandals at Fox approached $200 million.