For fans of the Fox News program Outnumbered, a familiar face has recently gone missing.
The show’s co-host, Melissa Francis, was abruptly fired by the network, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Times offers conflicting reports on Francis, who has been a part of the network since 2012, and the questions surrounding her surpise absence. A Fox News representative who remained anonymous in The Times report claimed that Francis is actually still with Fox News — citing that corporate bosses are simply re-evaluating her role on the program.
“Fox News Media regularly considers programming changes, including to its daytime lineup, and will launch new formats as appropriate after the election,” the representative said, according to the Times. “These changes are being made independent of any other ongoing matter.”
A person close to Francis, however, says she was dismissed.
Behind the scenes, when she had finished her afternoon talking politics for a living and the cameras turned off, she was battling workplace politics. According to the Times, she filed a gender discrimination case against the company that had been in arbitration.
Francis, reports say, claimed that she was underpaid compared to her male colleagues.
The network is no stranger to its fair share of controversies resulting in staff shakeups, whether firings or resignations.
Fox News also recently fired longtime co-host Ed Henry following a harassment complaint, in what critics call an effort to enforce tougher punishment and penalty against misconduct.
The Horn editorial team