A high-powered attorney who is representing Tucker Carlson said that his client will not be silenced amid speculative, anonymous reports about Carlson’s future.
In a statement to Axios, Bryan Freedman, a Hollywood-based lawyer, said that “the idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous.” The Epoch Times has contacted his office for comment.
While Freedman’s comment was brief, it appears to be the first response Carlson has given in light of reports claiming that Fox News hasn’t actually fired Carlson and is still keeping him under contract. Carlson has not publicly addressed the matter, and a Fox News spokesperson last week didn’t comment on those reports.
When reached for comment Sunday, a Fox News representative directed The Epoch Times to its initial news release announcing Carlson’s departure.
Carlson has only spoken out once after leaving Fox News, posting a 2-minute video in which he said that media companies “actively collude to shut down” topics that do not benefit corporations or elite members of society. He also lambasted the state of the American media landscape and claimed that few outlets are focusing on topics that actually matter to people and instead choose reports and debates that have limited impact.
Because few details have been released about his exit, a number of theories have emerged. At the same time, left-wing nonprofit Media Matters for America has released what it dubbed “FOXLEAKS,” showing Carlson making behind-the-scenes remarks to staffers—prompting Fox News to issue a cease and desist letter to the group late last week.
The letter, sent to Media Matters, said that the footage of Carlson is Fox’s “confidential intellectual property” and that “Fox did not consent to its distribution or publication.” The footage, the letter said, was “unlawfully obtained” and that Media Matters is now “on notice.”
It’s not clear how Media Matters obtained the footage. A spokesperson for Fox News told The Epoch Times last week they would suggest asking Media Matters about how it obtained the footage; Media Matters has not responded to a request for comment.