Tucker Carlson's departure from Fox is related to accusations of fraud in the US elections.
Carlson allowed false allegations involving the company and election fraud to air on his program.
(Reuters)- Fox News and its highest-rated host, Tucker Carlson, have agreed to part ways, less than a week after the Fox media company agreed to pay $787,5 million in a defamation lawsuit in which he played a significant role.
Carlson embraced conservative issues and expressed his opinions in a style that made his primetime show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," the highest-rated cable news program among 25- to 54-year-olds in the United States. Fox shares closed down 2,9% on the news, released by the company on Monday.
The voting technology company Dominion Voting Systems alleged in its lawsuit that Carlson allowed false allegations involving the company regarding voter fraud to air on his program, while casting doubt on the plausibility of those allegations in private messages that surfaced in court proceedings.
Carlson is also a key player in other legal battles faced by Fox, including a lawsuit filed by his former head of reservations, Abby Grossberg, who said Fox forced her to testify in the Dominion case.
Carlson's next move or the reason for his departure is unclear.
"We thank him for his service to the network as a host and, before that, as a contributor," Fox News said in a statement. While his departure leaves Fox without one of its biggest stars, advertisers have been fleeing Carlson's show as the former host embraced controversial topics.