Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon, freshly ousted from their perches at top cable networks, have hired the same powerhouse lawyer to navigate their exits.
The prominent Hollywood lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has a track record of getting multimillion-dollar settlements for TV stars and other celebrities. He represents Chris Cuomo, the former CNN anchor who is seeking $125 million for wrongful termination after the network fired him in 2021, and secured a payout of Megyn Kelly’s full contract when she left NBC.
The news that both Mr. Carlson, until recently Fox’s top-rated prime time star, and Mr. Lemon, until recently one of CNN’s morning hosts, had retained Mr. Freedman portended possible fights ahead.
Mr. Freedman declined to comment.
Mr. Freedman, who is based in Los Angeles, founded the law firm Freedman and Taitelman with Michael Taitelman in 1997. He became known as an aggressive litigator, representing high-profile clients in the entertainment industry, including Quentin Tarantino, Julia Roberts, Mariah Carey, Seth Rogen and Gabrielle Union.
In recent years, he has represented axed TV hosts including Mike Richards, a former executive producer of “Jeopardy!,” and Chris Harrison of “The Bachelor.”
He also represented Michael Jackson’s estate in a $100 million fight against the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” which was won on appeal.
For the past 14 years, Mr. Freedman has been included in The Hollywood Reporter’s annual list of the entertainment industry’s top 100 lawyers. In 2022, he said to the publication: “How do employers police their own? What kind of due process is there?”
Mr. Freedman was accused of sexual assault in the 1980s while he was a university student and eventually settled the case for $40,000 without admitting liability, according to court documents. Insider earlier reported the suit and settlement.
Source: New York Times
