A humorist who graced the stage intermittently on Fox News’ hit show, ‘Gutfeld!’ alleges that he has been unceremoniously ousted due to what he dubs a ‘progressive-era misstep’. According to him, this misstep featured nothing more than casually inviting an employee for a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, this unscheduled meet-up proposition seemingly unnerved the female staff member to an extent that compelled her to seek intervention from the security team.
In a personal account of the events on social media, the stand-up comedian remarked, ‘I was shown the exit doors for reasons that still baffle me. My crime? Attempting to get to know a colleague over coffee. That’s what landed me in this situation. That’s why I no longer appear on the show.’ As he went on to explain, he did not perceive this action as violating any legal or Fox News network rules, particularly as it involved two consenting adults.
The comedian’s viewpoint revealed an undercurrent of frustration as he shared his stance on the existing climate at the workplace. He postulated that ‘any advance by a man is tagged as a version of harmful masculinity’ in the current climate. While extending this narrative, he also stated his grievances with Fox News’ compensation model, criticizing the network for not paying intermittent guests despite their investment of time and effort into show preparation.
Sharing the pain points of such guest artists, the comedian opined, ‘We put as much effort into the episodes as the stable of regular guests who are compensated for their contributions. We’re treated indistinguishably from unpaid interns, not valued as professional guests.’ His disapproval of the network’s remuneration practices was overtly clear in his statements.
An anonymous source privy to the comedian’s interactions with the Fox News employee at the network headquarters supplied insight to the controversy – according to this source, the comedian seized the woman’s mobile device, input his contact information, and insisted she verify that his details had been saved properly. This confrontation, as per the source, was far from congenial. In response to this uneasy encounter, the employee brought the matter to security.
In the past, the comedian was a periodic feature on the ‘Gutfeld!’ show, having had the spotlight roughly 15 times prior to his final appearance in January. The month also marked the launch of the network’s streaming service’s 45-minute special that showcased the comedian in prime form. This special program took a satirical deep dive into the intricate world of politics and culture.
In the course of the special, the comedian displayed his knack for impersonating varied political figures and business tycoons. The up-and-coming comic talent – acclaimed for his content creation abilities and his foothold in the world of stand-up comedy – had recently kicked off his second nationwide comedy tour. His successes suggested a promising future on both the stage and screen.
However, his sudden departure from the TV show left him feeling cold-shouldered. Despite numerous attempts to reconnect and make amends with the station’s representatives over the past few months, his outreach has been met with silence. On the heels of a promising rise to fame, it remains to be seen how this incident will impact the comedian’s career trajectory.