OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Fox News has taken legal action after texts from former host Tucker Carlson have been leaked on the Media Matters website.
It also comes after video footage was leaked on the website that showed Carlson complaining about the Fox Nation streaming platform. Media Matters is a liberal watchdog website that has devoted a significant portion of its existence to damaging Fox News.
The letter from Fox News counsel was sent to Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone, Mediaite reported.
Dear Mr. Carusone:
We write on behalf of FOX Corporation to clarify any misunderstandings Media Matters may have had regarding previously unaired footage that Media Matters has published in a series of articles headlined “FOXLEAKS.” That unaired footage is FOX’s confidential intellectual property; FOX did not consent to its distribution or publication; and FOX does not consent to its further distribution or publication. This proprietary material was given to you without FOX’s authorization. FOX demands that Media Matters cease and desist from distribution, publication, and misuse of Fox’s misappropriated proprietary footage, which you are now on notice was unlawfully obtained. We reserve all rights and remedies.
Sincerely,
WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI Professional Corporation /s/ Christopher Chiou Christopher Chiou
Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly was among those who believed that the information, including videos and texts, regarding Carlson, was leaked by someone at Fox News.
Kelly ripped on her ex-employer during her SiriusXM show on Monday, accusing the network of attempting to destroy another former top-rated host Tucker Carlson.
She also took verbal aim at network spokeswoman Irena Briganti for what she characterized as a “drip, drip, drip” leak attack campaign against Carlson.
Kelly was joined by guest Chaya Raichik, founder of Libs of TikTok, and both discussed leaked private footage of Carlson to far-left group Media Matters meant to discredit him, though they believe it’s having the opposite effect.
The video features Carlson speaking on the phone with an unidentified person while on the set of his program, “Tucker Carlson Today.”
“The conversation appeared to coincide with Carlson’s interview with controversial influencer Andrew Tate, whose misogynistic views went viral last year, months before his arrest in Romania as part of a human trafficking and rape investigation. Although the video is not dated, Media Matters noted that Carlson’s interview with Tate aired in August 2022,” Mediaite reported.
“I don’t want to be a slave to Fox Nation, which I don’t think that people watch anyway,” Carlson said during the call, which was taking place on speaker phone. “We’re gonna — because, you know, I’m like a representative of the American media now, speaking to an exile in Romania and welcoming him back into the brotherhood of journalists.”
He went on to say that he did not want to air the Tate interview on Fox’s streaming network, Fox Nation, because “nobody’s gonna watch it” there.
Kelly asked: “Meanwhile, Media Matters for America releases another mysterious outtake of Tucker onset speaking frankly. This happened last week. Two videos were released. By whoever could it be, Irena [Briganti]?”
“So they first leaked to the New York Times,” Kelly said. “This is my supposition for the record because it has yet to be confirmed but I know it is them. And I know it’s Irena Briganti who runs comms and f**king hates Tucker. Sorry. She hates his guts. And it’s mutual. He doesn’t like her either. None of us do. Nobody likes Irena.”
“All of a sudden you have his private text messages. You have these secret new unearthed video footage of him saying these things. It does feel like a lot of people are conspiring together to silence him,” Raichik said.
During Carlson’s call, at one point the conversation appeared to center around what Carlson was going to wear for the interview.
“Yeah. It would help us out if you wore a sweater though, because we asked him not to wear a suit,” said an unidentified voice during the call. “Like he was panicking about it and we said, ‘You don’t have to. Tucker’s gonna be looking casual. That’s just how our show looks.’ Is that okay?”
“I mean, this is airing on the nighttime show, and I want it to look official. I don’t want it to be like bro talk. You know what I mean?” Carlson said.
At that point, the unknown speaker on the phone said that if the interview went past 45 minutes it would be aired on Fox Nation.
“But nobody’s gonna watch it on Fox Nation. Nobody watches Fox Nation because the site sucks. So I’d really like to just put the — dump the whole thing on YouTube,” Carlson said. “But anyway, that’s just my view. I’m just frustrated with — it’s hard to use that site. I don’t know why they’re not fixing it. It’s driving me insane. And they’re like making like Lifetime movies, but they don’t work on the infrastructure of the site. Like what? It’s crazy. And it drives me crazy ’cause it’s like we’re doing all this extra work, and no one can find it.”
“It’s unbelievable, actually. I don’t know who runs that site,” an obviously frustrated Carlson added.
