She Was the ‘Office Mom’ of Tucker Carlson’s Show. Now She’s Suing Fox News
Posted May 3, 2023 by: Admin
Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Fox News, has filed two lawsuits against her former employer. In the first lawsuit, filed in Delaware, Grossberg accuses Fox News lawyers of bullying her into providing false and misleading testimony in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation case against Fox News. The network recently agreed to pay $787.5 million to settle the lawsuit.
Grossberg claims that lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems coached her to alter her deposition and implicate herself and her former boss Maria Bartiromo, instead of Fox News executives. In the second lawsuit, filed in New York, Grossberg claims that she was unfairly denied a promotion at Sunday Morning Futures and that the work environment at Tucker Carlson Tonight was so hostile to women that it caused her to suffer a nervous breakdown. She is seeking damages for emotional distress, punitive damages, and economic damages.
Abby, who worked as the head of booking at Tucker Carlson Tonight, was fired from Fox News on March 24, with the company accusing her of violating instructions by disclosing information about the Dominion case in her lawsuit against Fox. The network maintains that her termination was due to poor performance, and it has vowed to defend itself against Grossberg’s “unmeritorious legal claims.” In an exclusive interview with TIME, Grossberg claims that Fox News’ pursuit of ratings combined with gender discrimination led to an environment where false information and conspiracy theories were promoted unchecked.
Grossberg alleges that Maria Bartiromo was desperate to keep her job and thus promoted baseless lies on her show. Grossberg says that Bartiromo’s relationship with former President Donald Trump, whom she interviewed extensively, gave her power over Fox News and protected her from marginalization. Grossberg also alleges that Bartiromo frequently called GOP contacts to ask what she should discuss on air. Fox News has issued a statement in support of Bartiromo, calling the allegations absurd and patently false.
Grossberg’s lawsuits shed light on the culture at Fox News and the role of producers in shaping the network’s content. The lawsuits also highlight the prevalence of misogyny at the network, which Grossberg claims made women, including herself and Bartiromo, reliant on ratings, even when it meant promoting false information. The lawsuits also raise questions about Fox News’ journalistic standards and practices and whether the network prioritizes ratings over accuracy and truthfulness.
