Maria Bartiromo's lawyer says she was never fired and is still on Fox's payroll
Maria Bartiromo's attorney is flatly denying that Fox News terminated the veteran anchor, calling reports of her firing "absolutely and unequivocally false", and warning that evidence and witnesses will surface in court if necessary.The public standoff began Thursday when Fox News Media issued a terse press release announcing that "effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with Fox News Media." The network thanked her for more than twelve years of service and offered little else. By Friday, Bartiromo had retained Bryan Freedman, the same media attorney who previously represented Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Don Lemon, and Freedman fired back publicly, insisting that Bartiromo remains employed by Fox.
The dispute leaves three Fox programs, Mornings with Maria, Sunday Morning Futures, and Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street, in limbo and raises pointed questions about what exactly prompted the network to push out one of its most recognizable on-air voices.
Freedman warns Fox: "We have the receipts"--Freedman's Friday statement did not hold back. He accused outlets reporting Bartiromo's firing of reckless disregard for the truth and made clear that his client intends to fight.
The network's sensitivity around 2020 election coverage is well documented. Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million in 2023 to settle a defamation lawsuit, a case in which Bartiromo's broadcasts figured prominently. That settlement, one of the largest in media history, appears to have shaped Fox's editorial posture on election-related content ever since.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro offered a more specific account. Navarro told Just The News that Bartiromo sent him a screenshot of an internal Fox News executive communication directing staff not to promote Trump's speech or air segments about 2020 election issues. Navarro said he passed the information to the White House, and believes Bartiromo's removal is retaliation for exposing the network's editorial suppression.
Bartiromo remains under contract through 2029, sources say The precise nature of Bartiromo's employment status is the central dispute. Fox's press release used the language of a termination. Freedman insists she remains employed. Just The News reported that Bartiromo has been permanently removed from the airwaves but continues to be paid under a contract that runs through 2029.
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Bartiromo remains under contract through 2029, sources say The precise nature of Bartiromo's employment status is the central dispute. Fox's press release used the language of a termination. Freedman insists she remains employed. Just The News reported that Bartiromo has been permanently removed from the airwaves but continues to be paid under a contract that runs through 2029.
Read about it...
