Fox News accused Tucker Carlson of breaching his contract with the network with the debut of his new Twitter show.
The right-wing personality Carlson has parted ways with his long-time network Fox News before April ends.
Fox News Accuses Tucker Carlson of Contract Breach
ESZTERGOM, HUNGARY - AUGUST 07: Tucker Carlson speaks during the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) Feszt on August 7, 2021 in Esztergom, Hungary.
According to a report by Axios, the conservative news channel informed Carlson's lawyers that their former prime-time commentator and anchor breached his contract with the network. Fox News says his newly debuted Twitter show violated his agreement with them.
CBS News reports that the former Fox News anchor released the pilot episode of his new show on Twitter in early June, a few weeks after his former network dismissed him in April.
The first episode of his Twitter features Carlson in a 10-minute view wherein he expresses a monologue that primarily targets his favorite targets, such as the mainstream media. He also spoke about other controversial topics, such as UFOs and the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
However, Fox News believes that this newly launched show online violates his contract with the news channel. As per NBC News, the network's general counsel Bernard Gugar says that the commentator was "in breach of his contract," which Carlson signed last November 2019.
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Carlson's Lawyers Respond
HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Tucker Carlson speaks during 2022 FOX Nation Patriot Awards at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on November 17, 2022 in Hollywood, Florida.
Axios stresses that Carlson's legal team argued that if Fox pursues a legal action against its dismissed anchor, it would violate his First Amendment rights.
Carlson's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, notes that "Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds." However, the anchor's lawyer claims that Fox now wants "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."
The former Fox News anchor announced his much-awaited comeback after he departed from the network last May 9. He posted a tease video last May 9, claiming that "[We are] back."
The outgoing Twitter boss, Elon Musk, has reacted to the first episode of Carlson's show on the giant social network. The billionaire urged left-leaning personalities to mount a similar broadcast on the platform. He says, it "would be great to have shows from all parts of the political spectrum."
It is worth noting that the Chief Twit previously invited the fired CNN anchor Don Lemon to set up his show on Twitter. Lemon parted ways with the news network after nearly two decades or 17 years in the wake of his sexist comments. His departure from his long-time channel comes minutes after Fox dismissed Carlson.
It remains to be seen whether Fox News will be able to stop Carlson from producing his new show on Twitter. However, the dispute is sure to keep the media world buzzing for weeks to come.
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