Fired TV Hosts Carlson and Lemon Enlist Hollywood Attorney Bryan Freedman for Legal Battle

Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon chose a Hollywood power lawyer and crisis management expert to represent them in potential legal claims against Fox News and CNN for their expulsion
Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon chose a Hollywood power lawyer and crisis management expert to represent them in potential legal claims against Fox News and CNN for their expulsion

In a strangely odd twist of fate, politically and journalistically opposed fired TV hosts Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon are united in one thing at least: The lawyer they have chosen to represent them in potential legal battles with their former employers, Fox News and CNN.

The lawyer in question, Bryan Freedman, is no stranger to high profile defense cases having formerly represented presenter Megyn Kelly, as well as representing the estate of Michael Jackson in a lawsuit against HBO over a documentary.

Both Carlson, Fox News’ biggest star, and Don Lemon were fired by their networks in moves that, so far as Carlson is concerned at least, may have sprung from Fox’s settlement of the massive Dominion defamation case.

His firing reportedly came directly from Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch who is not immune to dramatic moves, such as his closure of his News of the World newspaper over 10 years ago in London following the phone hacking scandal that saw Murdoch make his dramatic decision.

Freedman has a reputation for pursuing aggressive lawsuits on behalf of clients who have been fired by television networks, resulting in multi-million dollar payouts. His hiring suggests that Carlson and Lemon may well be preparing to sue their former employers over their dismissals.

Who Is Bryan Freedman?

Fired TV Hosts Carlson and Lemon Enlist Hollywood Attorney Bryan Freedman for Legal Battle

Freedman, who passed the California bar exams in 1991, established Freedman and Taitelman, LLP in 1997 with a college friend. The firm has 12 attorneys with its strong litigation and crisis management focus.

He has since become one of Hollywood’s top trial attorneys, representing numerous A-list clients such as Vin Diesel, Gabrielle Union, and Julia Roberts, among others. The Hollywood Reporter has described him as an expert in crisis litigation and he has been included in the publication’s Top 100 Power Lawyers list annually since 2008.

He has been on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the most influential entertainment lawyers every year since 2008. He has also been an Honoree on Variety’s Legal Impact Report in 2015, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The celebrities that he’s represented include Seth Rogen, Julia Roberts, Robert Downey Jr., Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Mariah Carey, and Linkin Park, among others.

He has also been named on the Top 100 Power Lawyers list several times.

Freedman has a track record of securing multi-million dollar payouts for TV hosts who have been fired from their jobs. In 2018, he obtained a $30 million settlement for former Fox News host Megyn Kelly after NBC News terminated her contract for defending blackface costumes on an episode of “Today.”

Kelly was paid out on her multi-million dollar contract.

Freedman also secured payouts for TV personalities Chris Harrison and Gabrielle Union. In addition, he represented the estate of Michael Jackson when it sued HBO over a documentary that aired child abuse allegations.

Although Freedman has also represented high-profile clients facing sexual assault allegations, he has faced controversy himself, with a 1986 sexual assault lawsuit resurfacing in 2022.

Details of the lawsuit alleged that Freedman and two members of a college fraternity assaulted a 17-year-old woman after a party. The plaintiff claimed that she did not consent to the encounter, while Freedman and others named in the lawsuit argued that she had consented. Freedman and the other defendants paid $40,000 each in settlement to the accuser.

It is unclear whether Carlson and Lemon intend to sue their former employers, but if they do, they are in good hands with Freedman. Fox News reportedly plans to pay Carlson for the remainder of his $20 million per year contract, while Lemon’s contract with CNN runs until 2026 and he reportedly left with a $25 million payout due to come his way.

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