Fox News has agreed to pay $12 million to Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Tucker Carlson, to settle her two lawsuits claiming the n...
Fox News has agreed to pay $12 million to Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Tucker Carlson, to settle her two lawsuits claiming the network was a hostile and discriminatory environment and that Fox pressured her to lie in a deposition.
Grossberg’s attorney said Friday that the settlement resolves all of her claims against Fox, former show host Tucker Carlson, and several other people she named in her suit.
“I am hopeful, based on our discussions with Fox News today, that this resolution represents a positive step by the Network regarding its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace,” Grossberg said in a statement released by her attorney.
Grossberg, 42, said that she still stands by her original claims against the network, but she is “heartened that Fox News has taken me and my legal claims seriously.”
Fox previously disputed the former producer’s allegations. The network confirmed Friday that Grossberg’s complaint has been resolved.
“We are pleased that we have been able to resolve this matter without further litigation,” a spokesperson for the network said.
Fox has dealt with several company shakeups and high-profile legal matters in recent months.
Fox settled a lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million in April. Several days later, the network abruptly fired Carlson and canceled his wildly popular show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Grossberg previously worked as chief booker of guests for Carlson’s show, where she claimed she was subjected to a sexist and anti-Semitic work environment. She claimed that male producers made crude jokes and put up photos of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a swimsuit.
She accused Carlson in particular of making sexist and racist remarks, saying he “made my life a living hell.”
“I know nothing about her. I never met her,” Carlson told NPR after Grossberg’s lawsuit was filed. Grossberg had joined Carlson’s team in September 2022 while Carlson mostly worked remotely from a studio in Maine. Previously, Grossberg had worked since 2019 as a senior producer for host Maria Bartiromo.
Grossberg’s other lawsuit against Fox, which has now been dismissed, claimed the network’s legal team had pressured her to lie in her sworn deposition for the Dominion lawsuit.
She claimed she felt pressured to defend Carlson when Dominion’s legal team asked her whether she was surprised Carlson used a sexist term.
“Ms. Grossberg knew full well that Mr. Carlson was very capable of using such disgusting language about women,” the lawsuit stated, adding that, “colleagues at Fox News spew misogynistic phrases at her (or within her earshot) on a constant basis.”
Fox strongly denied Grossberg’s allegations that the network had intimidated her.
She also accused Fox of retaliating against her because of her lawsuits. She was fired several days after she filed her complaints.
Former top “Tucker Carlson Tonight” producer Justin Wells, who was named in the hostile work environment lawsuit, released a statement Friday reacting to the settlement and denying the allegations.
“We deny Ms. Grossberg’s claims and allegations against Tucker Carlson and his team,” Wells said in his statement. “Nevertheless, we are glad that Fox has settled this matter and that all sides can move forward.”
No comments