Former Fox producer who sued Tucker Carlson alleging a 'sexist' work environment just 1 month before he was ousted has 'mixed feelings' about his departure
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- A former Fox producer suing Tucker Carlson said his Monday ouster left her with "mixed feelings."
- Abby Grossberg spoke to MSNBC this week about her ongoing lawsuits against Carlson and Fox.
- "There is a feeling of justice," Grossberg said of Carlson's firing. "But it's just partial."
A former Fox News producer who is suing Tucker Carlson and other company executives for running a "sexist" work environment said Carlson's shocking ouster on Monday felt like the deliverance of "partial" justice.
Abby Grossberg, who booked talent for "Tucker Carlson Tonight" before she was fired in March shortly after filing two lawsuits against Fox, spoke to MSNBC on Tuesday in the wake of Carlson's bombshell departure from the network, speaking about her ongoing lawsuit, as well as her reaction to her former boss's firing.
"Yesterday felt like a Twilight Zone episode," Grossberg said on "Deadline: White House" of learning about Carlson's leave the day before. "I'm at the center of a lot of this and it felt surreal."
In a March 20 complaint, Grossberg alleged that she was "isolated, overworked, undervalued, denied opportunities for promotion, and generally treated significantly worse than her male counterparts, even when those men were less qualified than her."
Fox News has denied the allegations, and a spokesperson for the company told Insider last week that they would "vigorously defend Fox" against Grossberg's legal claims, which they said "have no merit."
But speaking to MSNBC on Tuesday, Grossberg alleged she experienced instances of sexism at Carlson's primetime show, including male staff members' excitement over possibly traveling to Romania to interview and hang out with accused human trafficker and rapist Andrew Tate, as well as a newsroom culture that allowed the prominent display of photos of Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi in a swimsuit plastered on computer screens.
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 25, 2023
As she spoke out against such incidents, Grossberg said she was gradually shut out of meetings, mocked, and eventually demoted.
So, when she learned that Carlson had been ousted on Monday morning, Grossberg said she was left with "mixed emotions."
"Tucker and his executive producer, Justin Wells, who was also fired, were responsible for breaking me and making my life a living hell," she said.
"There is a feeling of justice," Grossberg added. "But it's just partial."
Attorneys for Grossberg said in a statement last week that they remain "as committed as ever" to pursuing litigation against Fox with the aim of implementing meaningful change at the network, especially in the wake of Dominion Voting Systems' $787.5 million settlement with Fox last week.
Grossberg has also alleged that Fox News attorneys coerced her into making false statements in a deposition for the since-settled Dominion lawsuit. Her attorneys said last week that they found several recordings, including with Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and other Trump allies connected to the 2020 election, on her work devices that Fox never gave to Dominion during discovery.
Grossberg said Tuesday that Dominion has since obtained the recordings.
In the aftermath of the Dominion settlement, Fox continues to face legal troubles, including in the form of another major lawsuit from Smartmatic, an election technology company suing Fox on allegations that the network allowed guests to defame its products in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
Grossberg said Tuesday that she has been subpoenaed in the case.
While Carlson's departure was welcome news to Grossberg, she said there's something else she's eagerly awaiting.
"I want an apology from Fox," she said.