Tucker Carlson landed in legal troubles as Fox News informed his lawyer on Wednesday that the renowned news anchor violated his contract by releasing his first episode of a new show on Twitter earlier this week.
What Happened: A source with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News that Fox News general counsel Bernard Gugar, in a letter to Carlson’s lawyers, said the broadcaster was “in breach” of his contract.
Carlson’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, in response, asserted that any legal action taken by his client’s former employer would encroach upon his constitutional First Amendment rights. “Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds.”
See Also: Tucker Carlson For President? 2024 Draft PAC Backer Gets Cease-And-Desist Letter
“Now they want to take Tucker Carlson’s right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events,” Freedman said.
This came after Carlson on Tuesday launched his new show on Twitter with a roughly 10-minute video titled “Ep. 1,” in which he talked about UFOs and Ukraine war conspiracy theories. Carlson speculated about the possibility of Ukraine being responsible for the explosion at the Kakhovka Dam, resulting in recent floods.
See Also: Tucker Carlson Still Under Contract By Fox: Will Media Giant Block New Twitter Show?
Carlson’s claims, lacking evidence, received backlash from users who accused him of unfairly blaming the war-torn nation for an alleged attack on a large dam located in Russian-occupied territory. It also triggered a response from Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk.
In defense of Carlson, angel investor Jason Calacanis took to Twitter and suggested that someone should fact-check the transcript, provide citations, and respond with verified information. “The actual power of Twitter is replying with facts — not being hysterical and tweeting that Tucker is a Russian Asset,” he wrote.
See Also: Elon Musk On Tucker Carlson's Twitter Show
Musk supported Calacanis’ remarks by replying with “exactly,” indicating his agreement with the notion of fair judgment.
Carlson parted ways with Fox in April as the network came to a $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over false allegations of election fraud.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
