The widow of a Fox News journalist who was killed while reporting in Ukraine is suing the network for wrongful death and breach of contract.
Pierre Zakrzewski, a 55-year-old cameraman, was killed in Ukraine in 2022 when his team’s vehicle came under fire while reporting near Kyiv. Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova, a 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist, also was killed in the attack.
Zakrzewski’s wife, Michelle Ross-Staton, filed a lawsuit against Fox in Britain earlier this month, The Washington Post reported. She is asking for more than 9 million pounds, or $11.6 million.
The lawsuit alleges that Fox didn’t provide proper protection for her husband ― who had reported in war zones before ― and his team. Ross-Staton alleges a security consultant hired by Fox stayed behind as Zakrzewski and his team went out reporting.
The lawsuit also argues that the team should have been driving in an armored vehicle when they were killed from artillery shelling by Russian forces.
The network failed “to determine, or heed, that it was not reasonably safe and would expose the Deceased and his colleagues to unnecessary risk of serious injury or death,” the lawsuit argues.
Following the lawsuit, Fox News released a statement to The Washington Post.
“We remain devastated by the death of Pierre Zakrzewski,” the statement reads. “His extraordinary dedication to telling the stories of the war in Ukraine placed a critical spotlight on the atrocities there and we are forever grateful for his commitment to journalism and his ultimate sacrifice. We did everything humanly possible in the aftermath of this unprecedented tragedy amid the chaos of a war zone.”
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