Maria Bartiromo’s attorney is pushing back forcefully against reports that Fox News fired the veteran television host, threatening to produce evidence as conflicting accounts emerge about her sudden departure from the network.
Attorney Bryan Freedman said Friday that reports describing Bartiromo as fired — or even as no longer employed by Fox — are “absolutely and unequivocally false.” His statement came one day after Fox News Media publicly announced that Bartiromo was no longer with the company.
Freedman went further, warning that evidence supporting his client’s version of events could emerge publicly or through litigation.
“Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses,” Freedman said, adding that the information would eventually come out “through the courthouse or otherwise.”
The attorney accused outlets reporting that Bartiromo had been fired of displaying what he characterized as reckless disregard for the facts.
Fox News Media, however, issued an apparently conflicting statement Thursday that said, “Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media.” The company thanked Bartiromo for her 12 1/2 years at the network and wished her well in her next chapter.
Fox did not provide a reason for the separation in its official announcement.
Axios subsequently reported that a Fox spokesperson said Bartiromo had been fired for “business reasons,” an account that Freedman is now publicly disputing.
The rapidly developing dispute adds another layer of uncertainty to Bartiromo’s abrupt exit. Trending Politics News previously reported on Fox’s initial announcement that the longtime anchor was leaving after more than a decade with the company.
Bartiromo had hosted three programs across Fox’s television properties: “Mornings with Maria,” “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” and Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Fox immediately began restructuring those programs following Thursday’s announcement.
“Mornings with Maria” was renamed “Mornings with FOX Business,” with rotating anchors assigned to the weekday program. “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” became “FBN’s Wall Street,” with Cheryl Casone initially taking over hosting duties.
Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz was selected to temporarily host “Sunday Morning Futures” while Fox searches for a permanent replacement.
Questions surrounding what triggered the split have intensified since the announcement.
A separate Trending Politics report detailed allegations from Puck and Status that Bartiromo shared internal Fox communications concerning coverage of President Donald Trump’s claims about the 2020 election with White House officials.
Forbes similarly reported Friday that the New York Times and Status attributed Bartiromo’s departure to an alleged disclosure of internal Fox guidance to the White House, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Fox has not publicly confirmed that allegation as the reason for its decision.
Other reports have described broader tensions between Bartiromo and Fox management in the weeks preceding the announcement.
Bartiromo had been absent from the network’s airwaves for several weeks before Fox formally announced the split. The Wall Street Journal reported that her departure followed a nearly month-long absence from Fox News and Fox Business.
Her relationship with the network has also unfolded against the backdrop of major defamation litigation stemming from Fox’s coverage of challenges to the 2020 presidential election.
Bartiromo’s broadcasts were cited in Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit against Fox. The network settled the case in 2023 for $787.5 million before it went to trial.
She is also among the Fox personalities named in Smartmatic’s separate defamation lawsuit, which remains ongoing.
Court documents connected to the Smartmatic litigation have also provided a glimpse into the financial value of Bartiromo’s career at Fox. Forbes reported that filings indicated she earned approximately $70 million during her tenure with the network.
Bartiromo joined Fox Business in January 2014 following roughly two decades at CNBC.
Before moving to Fox, she became one of the best-known figures in financial television and made history by becoming the first television journalist to regularly report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Her role expanded significantly after arriving at Fox, where she became a prominent interviewer of political and business figures in addition to covering financial markets.
President Trump publicly defended Bartiromo following Fox’s announcement Thursday, calling her a “total professional” and “true warrior” while saying her viewers would be unhappy about her departure.
The central circumstances surrounding Bartiromo’s exit remain disputed. Fox has publicly said she is no longer with the company, while Freedman is directly challenging reports that she was fired or is no longer an employee.
His warning that he possesses “receipts and witnesses” now raises the possibility that additional details — or potentially litigation — could determine which account ultimately prevails.
