Tucker Carlson reportedly suspects that Rupert Murdoch’s children are looking to sell Fox News eventually and that it influenced the ending of his hit show Tucker Carlson Tonight, according to a report.
Citing an anonymous source who was “briefed on the conversation,” Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman reported that Carlson learned his show was nixed and that his company email account was no more during a Monday morning phone call with Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott. Carlson was reportedly “stunned” by the news, which Scott purportedly said came from higher-ups:
Carlson has told people he doesn’t know why he was terminated. According to the source, Scott refused to tell him how the decision was made; she only said that it was made “from above.” Carlson has told people he believes his controversial show is being taken off the air because the Murdoch children intend to sell Fox News at some point.
On Monday morning, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott called Carlson and informed him he was being taken off the air, and his Fox News email account was shut off. https://t.co/HOSKIWJ9m1
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) April 24, 2023
However, the Los Angeles Times’ Stephen Battaglio reported that Scott was directly involved in the decision. Citing a single anonymous source, Battaglio said Scott and Lachlan Murdoch, one of Rupert’s children, “decided late Friday that Carlson had to go.”
Vanity Fair’s source said Carlson and Fox News were allegedly working on a new contract to keep him with the network for years to come.
“As of last week, Carlson had told people he expected the contract to be renewed,” Sherman wrote.
This was Tucker Carlson Tonight’s last moment.
Eating pizza with the hero delivery man who stopped a car jacker.
I can’t think of a better way for the greatest cable news show in history to end.
pic.twitter.com/cfzNZ6QY4l— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 24, 2023
Neither Carlson nor Fox News provided a comment to Vanity Fair.
In contrast to the Vanity Fair report, Battaligo, citing anonymous sources, wrote that Carlson’s dismissal “is related to the discrimination lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, a producer fired by the network last month.”
In its press release, Fox News stated that “FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” without delving into any specifics other than noting his final show occurred on Friday.
Carlson seemed to have no inkling of the forthcoming split when he signed off his broadcast Friday night.
“We’ll be back on Monday,” Carlson said. “In the meantime, have the best weekend with the ones that you love, and we’ll see you then.”
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