Fox announced a split with Maria Bartiromo — and her attorney immediately countered that she’s still on the payroll.
Press release vs. employment claim
According to the source text, Fox issued a news release stating, “Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media.” The Wrap quoted a Fox statement calling it “a business decision” and adding that “the release speaks for itself,” per the source.
But attorney Bryan Freedman told The Hollywood Reporter that Bartiromo is “still employed by Fox,” according to the source. In a statement cited by the source, Freedman said reports that she “was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false,” and suggested the dispute could go to court: “we have the receipts and witnesses and they will come out, whether through the courthouse or otherwise.”
What sparked the split? Conflicting outlet reports
The source says some outlets reported Bartiromo was fired for sharing internal Fox communications with the White House. A report from Status, cited in the source, said Fox executives told staff to avoid reporting on claims by former President Donald Trump in a July speech linking China to alleged interference in the 2020 election — and that Bartiromo leaked the guidance to the White House, allegedly violating her contract. CNN reported a similar sequence, according to the source text, writing: “Bartiromo apparently sent a text message of the network guidance to White House officials, as if to say it wasn’t her fault that the claims weren’t getting airtime on Fox.”
The source also references a post attributed to journalist Dylan Byers on September 3, 2026, asserting Bartiromo wanted to pursue a story on China and 2020 voting conspiracies, which the source says was a sensitivity for Fox given its Dominion and Smartmatic lawsuits. DailyHeadlines.net has not independently verified that post.
Contract questions and staffing moves
The Hollywood Reporter noted, per the source, that many TV contracts can continue paying individuals even if they’re off the air; the source says THR could not confirm whether that applies to Bartiromo. CNN reported Bartiromo had “ample time remaining on her contract,” and, per the source, also reported that Patrick Ignozzi, executive producer of “Mornings with Maria,” was terminated the same day Fox announced the split.
What Bartiromo has said
As of the source’s account, the New York Post reported Bartiromo had not made any public comment about her status.
The bottom line
Based on the source material, Fox’s public statement that Bartiromo is “no longer with” the company is in direct conflict with her attorney’s claim that she remains employed, a dispute he says could move to court. Allegations about a leaked memo and the reasons behind the split come from outside outlets cited by the source and have not been independently verified here.
