/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/NULFSLHKOLUPDSBLRSLBDX3EKU.jpg "Tucker Carlson, host of \"Tucker Carlson Tonight,\" poses for photos in a Fox News Channel studio on March 2, 2017, in New York.")
NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News said Monday it has “agreed to part ways” with Tucker Carlson, its popular and controversial host, less than a week after settling a lawsuit over the network’s 2020 election reporting.
The network said in a press release that the last program of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” aired Friday.
“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” the press release from the network said.
Carlson became Fox’s most popular personality after replacing Bill O’Reilly in Fox’s prime-time lineup in 2016. He’s also consistently drawn headline for controversial coverage, including most recently airing tapes from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection to minimize the impact of the deadly attack.
There was no immediate explanation from Fox about why Carlson was leaving.
His name came up during the recently settled case with Dominion Voting Systems, primarily because of email and text messages that were revealed as part of the lawsuit. In some of them, Carlson privately criticized former President Donald Trump, saying he hated him passionately.
A few weeks ago, Carlson devoted his entire show to an interview with Trump.
Carlson was recently named in a lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, a Fox News producer fired after claiming that Fox lawyers had pressured her to give misleading testimony in the Dominion lawsuit. Grossberg had gone to work for Carlson after leaving Maria Bartiromo’s Fox show.
Her lawsuit says that Grossberg learned “she had merely traded in one overtly misogynistic work environment for an event crueler one — this time, one where unprofessionalism reigned supreme, and the staff’s distaste and disdain for women infiltrated almost every workday decision.”
Fox has countered with its own lawsuit, trying to bar Grossberg from disclosing confidential discussions with Fox attorneys and saying in a statement that “her allegations in connection with the Dominion case are baseless.”
“Fox News Tonight” will air in Carlson’s 8 p.m. ET prime-time slot, hosted by a rotating array of network personalities, for the time being.
— DAVID BAUDER, AP Media Writer
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/14f3d8bf-8fa5-4360-a013-3a4d9b4adcce.svg "Associated Press")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/CACHP72f4B6V2V-u6e5S3m8vKB4=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/RVTBNFE6M5ZSZ5KJPTWMLDIJ24.jpg "No-fault divorce, end of the Girl Boss and the left of the New Right | Readings")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/ustSens2x9PFDYZGwmdAkchA1zc=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/T2SO677SZZFOTB4WZWCHR7PF2M.JPG "Who will be Tampa’s next mayor? It’s already the talk of the town")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/8TLMdIzmQNgdFn7eqXM9LZXJpoY=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/OVAUQVPEFZASTMIXD4RSSYRZ5M.jpg "Here’s what’s going on with the problem of low military recruitment")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/_q-5S8YI-q4NSIzR5ufzoriGWDg=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/524DOUYLR5HMDDVE42CZFP7DII.jpg "When will you next vote in the city of Tampa? Here’s what we know.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/Y6PMZJWLUVG57OYZ2UJ4CZKCPA.JPG "Hillsborough chief judge declines to intervene in Warren suspension")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/KPEMYRLLAFFDTJBPK7YS7OODFY.jpg "Trial challenging DeSantis’ map for Florida congressional districts wraps up")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/QQYRSIHL5CW54GLPX5CLV6HSH4.jpg "Florida man executed for 1996 killing of woman he met in an Escambia bar")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/TDT44GCNF62CH7VIWBVDK5AOSY.jpg "How Florida members of Congress voted on ousting Speaker McCarthy")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/QIJKD7UAMIDCU5WES3OBQFBNTQ.jpg "McCarthy becomes 1st speaker ever to be ousted from job in a House vote")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/BECBVIIPKRFRZJ4PATGP4RPAWI.JPG "New College chooses a familiar face as next president: Richard Corcoran")