Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News in April 2023 primarily due to growing concerns over his extreme off-air beliefs and behavior, which mirrored the controversial and racially charged rhetoric he espoused on his show. The decision was influenced by internal anxieties over private messages revealed during a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems, in which Carlson expressed views that alarmed Fox's executives, including racially insensitive remarks and endorsement of conspiracy theories like the "great replacement theory." His escalating controversies and behavior led Fox's leadership, particularly under Lachlan Murdoch, to view him as a liability despite his large audience and influence. His firing was also linked to a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former Fox producer alleging bullying and antisemitic comments on Carlson's show. Fox aimed to distance itself from the controversies he caused, especially following a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for election misinformation, even though Carlson's firing was not explicitly a condition of that settlement. Ultimately, Carlson was seen as having become bigger than the network and a risk to its future.