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“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the network said in a statement Thursday. 

However, Bartiromo has now retained attorney Bryan Freedman, who recently repped Justin Baldoni in his high-profile case against Blake Lively, as well as journalists Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo after their dramatic exits from CNN as well as Tucker Carlson’s exit from Fox and Megyn Kelly’s exit from NBC. Bartiromo’s attorney denies that she was fired and further claims that she is “still employed by Fox.” Freedman suggests they may pursue the matter in court. 

“For many years, Maria Bartiromo hosted three number-one-rated television shows on Fox channels. She has been, without question,  one of the hardest-working journalists throughout her award-winning career,” Freedman said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

“The irresponsible reports that have been published stating that Maria Bartiromo was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false. Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses and they will come out whether through the courthouse or otherwise. Those reporting her firing or the incredulous facts supporting that fiction have exhibited a complete and utter reckless disregard for the truth,” Freedman continued.

It is not entirely clear what argument the attorney plans to make, though TV contracts are typically “pay to play,” meaning that talent is meant to get paid through the length of the deal, regardless of whether they are still used on-air. In previous high-profile exits, talent will negotiate a settlement with the channel, giving them less cash but allowing them to pursue opportunities elsewhere. In other cases, talent continue to take pay through the remainder of their deals.

A spokesperson for Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Freedman is known for negotiating high profile exits for his journalist clients. Cuomo filed a $125 million arbitration claim against CNN after being fired by the network for giving advice to his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The case has not yet been resolved. Lemon is said to have agreed to a multi-million settlement deal after parting ways with the network in 2023.

Lemon launched a show on X and later YouTube, and said at the time that his deal with CNN continued to pay him out, as the digital programs were not determined to be competitive. Other deals may be more stringent however, especially with many anchors and journalists leaving legacy media for digital platforms.

Asked about Freedman’s tactics, his clients refer to his aggression, as well as a sense of equity. “When Freedman believes that he has a client who’s been wronged, it’s not just about relative equities,” Carlson told THR in 2024. “The media business is uglier than most things, and in a very ugly world, he has a very uncommon sense of honor. There’s something beautiful about that. That’s what makes him stand out.”

Indeed, Freedman is seen is intensely loyal to his clients.

Kelly said that she met Freedman when he took her deposition in a lawsuit involving her former agent, but that they hit it off.

“When the shit hit the fan with NBC, he was brought into my life as an option, and when everyone else had abandoned me, Bryan was on the phone and said, ‘just so you know, I don’t give an F what anyone says about me, I’ve got you,” Kelly recalled on her SiriusXM show.