According to Fox News insiders, a Fox News representative is preparing to release a dossier of incriminating information about Tucker Carlson if the former anchor criticizes the network following his contentious departure.
When asked by Rolling Stone about the drastic measures Irena Briganti’s publicist will use to keep her network’s stars in order when they deviate from Fox’s approved lines, eight individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity. A former female senior producer has filed a complaint against Carlson, and according to sources, her “oppo file” on him contains admissions of a sexually charged and discriminatory culture among employees of his primetime program.
During the discovery phase of Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit, Carlson’s allegedly critical texts to network executives were made public. Carlson has hired entertainment attorney extraordinaire Bryan Freedman to negotiate his departure from Fox.
“Do the executives understand how much credibility and trust we’ve lost with our audience?” asked Carlson in one exchange, adding “A combination of incompetent liberals and top leadership with too much pride to back down is what’s happening.”’
A source has referred to Briganti as “Fox’s fighter” and stated that she has criticized the network’s former personalities for their actions that, in her opinion, endangered Fox News’ reputation. Briganti allegedly urged reporters to write about Megyn Kelly’s low ratings and a story she did interrogating a Will & Grace star about whether the show made him gay when Kelly departed her show for a competing network in 2017. Kelly has already complained about what she refers to as Briganti’s “vindictiveness” in taking action against company disloyal employees.
Contrary to former CNN personality Don Lemon, who was dismissed on the same day, Tucker Carlson has refrained from publicly criticizing the network. CNN’s PR team refuted Lemon’s claim that the executives of his network were not truthful with him about his dismissal.
Rolling Stone described a portion of the contents of the putative “Oppo file,” which was provided to the publication by an anonymous source.
The file includes internal complaints regarding workplace conduct, disparaging comments about management and colleagues, and allegations that the now-former prime-time host created a toxic work environment, three of the sources say. (Carlson is currently facing a lawsuit from a former senior booking producer, Abby Grossberg, alleging a toxic and misogynist workplace environment. The lawsuit details repeated instances of misogynist behavior at the network, including frequent lewd and sexual discussions of female guests and public figures. Grossberg “continued to endure a work environment that subjugates women based on vile sexist stereotypes, typecasts religious minorities and belittles their traditions, and demonstrates little to no regard for those suffering from mental illness.” Fox denied the allegations when the lawsuit was filed, saying the claims were “without merit.”)
A network representative denied the existence of the Carlson file. “This is patently absurd and categorically false,” the spokesperson told Rolling Stone in a statement. “We thank Tucker for his service to the network as a host, and prior to that, as a contributor.”
However, a number of sources within the network disagree. “Irena will never be shy about using these things,” says one network source who is familiar with the Carlson-related complaints.