Tucker Carlson is reportedly planning to start or join a Fox News competitor following his unceremonious departure from the network on April 21. According to multiple unnamed sources close to Carlson, Axios reported Sunday that the Fox News host is “plotting a media empire of his own.”
Bryan Freedman, Carlson’s attorney, commented on the situation and told Axios that the idea of anyone silencing Carlson is “beyond preposterous.” Freedman is a Hollywood heavyweight attorney who is also representing Don Lemon, who was recently ousted from CNN. Freedman also secured a $30 million payout to former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, Business Insider reported.
Since Carlson’s departure, Fox News has seen plummeting ratings among key demographic segments. Carlson addressed viewers directly in a roughly two-minute video posted to Twitter on April 26 at 8:01 ET, his former time slot. The post has since been viewed nearly 81 million times.
Tucker Carlson is planning to “torch” Fox News in an effort to free himself from a contract that blocks him from working at other networks. Read more: https://t.co/r9uLTMc3WI pic.twitter.com/4E3WCMalLh
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) May 8, 2023
Sources told Axios that Carlson is looking into a direct-to-consumer model to deliver content to viewers. They also said that Carlson has been in conversation with Elon Musk about working together. Notably, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said Twitter will keep none of the subscription fees for its creator subscription program for the next year.
BREAKING NEWS: A new leak form Axios just revealed that Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk have been in talks about working together since Fox News fired @TuckerCarlson. Do you support this?
— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) May 7, 2023
The leaks of Carlson’s behind-the-scenes videos and text messages have been widely panned on social media, and Kelly has been vocal in her defense of Carlson. While it is unclear when or if Carlson will be able to break away from Fox News, it appears that he is preparing for such an event.
