Lawyers for a former Fox News producer said that she never actually met Tucker Carlson in person while she worked on his show—coming days after the former host departed the network.
In a statement to The Spectator, lawyers for Abby Grossberg—who filed a lawsuit against the network and Carlson—characterized their client’s not meeting with him in person as routine. They said it is because Carlson would film his program from his studios in Florida and Maine, where he owns homes.
“Like many on the [‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’] staff, Abby never met Tucker Carlson in person because he taped the show from his personal studios in Maine and Florida, and he did not visit Fox’s NY HQ during her time there,” Kimberly A. Catala, a Grossberg attorney, told the outlet.
Grossberg, who was the head of booking for Carlson for several months, filed a lawsuit that alleged Carlson fostered a hostile work environment among his staff. Grossberg further claimed that she was subjected to vulgar comments while she worked in Fox News’ Manhattan office.
The lawsuit accuses Carlson of “aiding and abetting” the “toxic work environment” and “unlawfully subjected Ms. Grossberg to a toxic work environment that is hostile to women like her.” It further claimed that it’s designed to “put an end to the discriminatory and hostile work environment she and other female Fox News employees have had to endure for far, far too long.”
Carlson has not issued a public response to her lawsuit, but Fox News has categorically denied her allegations to media outlets after it was filed. A Fox News spokesperson previously told news outlets that the company “will continue to vigorously defend Fox against Ms. Grossberg’s unmeritorious legal claims, which are riddled with false allegations against Fox and our employees.”
After Fox News announced Carlson’s departure on Monday, Grossberg made an MSNBC appearance in which she criticized both Carlson and Fox News.
“Tucker and his executive producer Justin Wells, who was also fired, really were responsible for breaking me and making my life a living hell,” Grossberg told MSNBC this week. It’s not clear if either Carlson or Wells were fired, as details about why Carlson left the company have not been provided.
At the same time, Grossberg wrote on Twitter that Carlson’s exit is a “step towards accountability for the election lies and baseless conspiracy theories spread by the network,” although she worked there for several months.
Lawyers for Grossberg told The Spectator that she was in contact with Carlson via text and email on a regular basis. The two also spoke over the phone, her lawyers said, although it’s not clear how many times or if she discussed the alleged harassment and hostility with Carlson. The Epoch Times has contacted her attorneys for any additional comment.
“Since Tucker did not come to the Fox office, he relied on Justin Wells, his executive producer, and others like Alexander McCaskill, senior producer, who were present in the office every day to be his eyes, ears and mouthpiece, and to convey his ‘tone,’ as they threateningly reminded Ms. Grossberg,” Catala remarked.
After several days of silence, Carlson issued a statement via Twitter on Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern time—the same time his former show had aired. “Where can you still find Americans saying true things? There aren’t many places left. But there are some. And that’s enough,” he said in a 2-minute-long video. “As long as you can hear the words, there is hope.”
Without addressing his departure or Fox News, Carlson remarked, “Both political parties and their donors have reached consensus on what benefits them, and they actively collude to shut down any conversation about it.”
“The other thing you notice when you take a little time off is how unbelievably stupid most of the debates you see on television are,” he added. “They’re completely irrelevant. They mean nothing. In five years, we won’t even remember that we had them. Trust me, as someone who has participated.”
His “Tucker Carlson Tonight” hourlong show aired Monday through Friday starting at 8 p.m., and it was often the highest-rated cable news show in recent years. Notably, it drew significant viewership from the coveted age 25 to 54 demographic.
In the interim, a rotation of hosts will fill Carlson’s seat, according to Fox’s Monday announcement. Thus far, “Fox & Friends” cohost Brian Kilmeade has hosted the renamed “Fox News Tonight.”