Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Settles $12M Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

Amid a series of high-profile legal battles, media mogul Rupert Murdoch‘s Fox Corp. FOX has settled a $12-million gender discrimination lawsuit, further deepening the scandal surrounding the empire.

What Happened: Fox News has reached a staggering $12 million settlement in a gender discrimination lawsuit, intensifying the ongoing scandal surrounding the news network, reported Reuters. 

The settlement comes after multiple legal battles, including a high-profile defamation case with Dominion Voting Systems, which saw Fox News pay $787.5 million.

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Settlement Details

Former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, the plaintiff in the gender discrimination lawsuit, alleged that she faced gender-based discrimination and accused the network’s lawyers of pressuring her to make misleading statements during the Dominion Voting Systems case. The settlement represents a substantial sum agreed upon by both parties to avoid further litigation.

Grossberg’s Allegations

Grossberg, who served as the head of booking guests for conservative host Tucker Carlson, claimed to have experienced a hostile and discriminatory work environment at Fox News. Among her accusations were gender and religious discrimination, as well as pay equity violations, the report noted. 

Ties To Dominion Voting Systems Case

The gender discrimination lawsuit unfolded against the backdrop of the high-stakes legal battle between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems. In the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion, Fox News had to settle for a hefty sum of $787.5 million. Grossberg’s involvement as a potential key witness in the Dominion case raised the stakes further.

Following the settlement, Grossberg expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “While I stand by my publicly filed claims and allegations, in light of today’s settlement of $12 million, pursuant to which I have now withdrawn those claims, I am heartened that Fox News has taken me and my legal claims seriously."

Why It's Important: In April this year, Fox News announced the departure of Carlson, the conservative host accused of allowing debunked election-fraud claims about Dominion Voting Systems to air on his show, while privately expressing doubts about the credibility of those claims.

He later announced plans for a new Twitter show and voiced criticism of news journalism in a video.

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