Just this Monday, two of the most representative faces of American television were fired by their respective networks. The first to be fired was Tucker Carlson, host of Fox News, who was until now one of the main media leaders of the most conservative right wing in the US. The second was Don Lemon, co-host of CNN‘s This Morning.
In both cases, the reasons that have led these reputable television networks to get rid of two such prominent personalities are unknown. In the case of Tucker Carlson, there are suspicions that he may have been fired by Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News, after making several complaints about the network’s management.
On the other hand, Don Lemon’s dismissal would have been motivated by a series of controversies and statements of a sexist and misogynist nature towards several women. The most recent case was in February, when he stated that Nikki Haley, the governor of South Carolina and Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, was “not in her prime” (euphemism for “old”).
Two well-known faces of American television, possibly the most famous faces of their respective networks and fired on the same day. A striking coincidence that goes even further when we take into account that attorney Bryan Freedman will be representing both presenters in the possible legal actions they will take. But who is this lawyer and why is he representing these two personalities?
According to Forbes, Freedman’s resume is quite extensive, and includes some of the biggest names in the media world. His firm’s website refers to him as “the go-to lawyer for crisis litigation”, and among the celebrities he has represented are director Quentin Tarantino and actress Gabrielle Union.
Freedman already has plenty of experience in cases involving television networks and audiovisual production companies. In 2019, he represented NBC anchor Megyn Kelly after the network fired her. Thanks to his work as a lawyer, Kelly reached a settlement with NBC for the network to pay the contract in full, which meant about $30 million.
On the other hand, he also represented The Bachelor host Chris Harrison after he left the popular ABC show. The network ended up paying Harrison, the subject of a major controversy after he defended a Bachelor contestant’s decision to attend a Confederate-themed party, $10 million.
Freedman also brokered a settlement between Gabrielle Union and NBC (the final terms of which have not been made public) after the actress filed a discrimination lawsuit in California, accusing NBC of firing her as a judge on the hit show America’s Got Talent because she was black.
Finally, one of Freedman’s most eye-catching cases was when he represented the estate of the late Michael Jackson in a lawsuit against HBO over its documentary Leaving Neverland, released in 2019, where Jackson is accused of molesting young children. The entertainer’s estate ended up winning $100 million after alleging that HBO violated a 1992 nondisclosure agreement it signed by making a film about Jackson’s “Dangerous” tour.
Now, Freedman will represent the one-time U.S. television heavyweights. At the moment, it is known that Fox News intends to pay Tucker Carlson’s contract, which was renewed in 2021 for about $20 million a year, in full. In the case of Don Lemon, it is unknown whether CNN will pay him the remaining amount of the agreement, which was dated until 2026.
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