After the sudden announcements Monday that media personalities Tucker Carlson, 53, and Don Lemon, 57, are out of their respective jobs at CNN and Fox News, multiple reports indicate they have hired the same attorney.
“I’m told that both Tucker Carlson AND Don Lemon have retained the famously aggressive entertainment lawyer Bryan Freedman,” said former CNN chief media correspondent Brian Selter in a tweet. “I have reached out to Freedman; no response yet.”
According to the Freedman + Taitelman, LLP website, Freedman is based in Los Angeles. He has “has a practice dedicated to entertainment, business, copyright, employment, Internet, real estate, and sports law,” and has been “recognized as a renowned entertainment litigator.”
Previously, Freedman has “facilitated favorable breakup terms for hosts,” the Huffington Post reported. Some of his high-profile clients have included Megyn Kelly and “The Bachelor” host Chris Harrison. Forbes said he secured Kelly roughly $30 million after NBC fired her in 2019.
The New York Times reported that Lemon retained Freedman in a “clear sign of acrimony,” towards CNN. Lemon, who has been with the network for 17 years, announced the split in a Monday tweet. In its own tweet, CNN refuted Lemon’s version of events.
“He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter,” the network said.
Early this month, Variety published a story about Lemon’s pattern of “misogyny” at CNN. He has also reportedly faced backlash for comments made on air about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s age, per NBC News. According to “two people with direct knowledge of his deal,” cited by The New York Times, Lemon’s contract with CNN ran through 2026.
“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways.
We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” said a Monday announcement for the company. “Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.”
As of last Wednesday, Carlson’s show “Tucker Carlson Tonight” was “still the top-rated cable news offering,” according to AdWeek. Bloomberg reported Monday that Fox stocks tumbled in the wake of Carlson’s departure, causing the company to lose $507 million in value.
In recent months, a defamation lawsuit against Fox related to claims made on air about Dominion Voting Systems and election fraud controversies has brought new facts to light about the longtime conservative political commentator. Carlson said in messages that he believed a guest was lying about the election fraud claims.
“Neither host has announced a lawsuit or dispute against their employers,” Business Insider said Tuesday of Carlson and Lemon.
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