The Fox is in the news again, but not for the right reasons. Apparently, the TV firm is facing a big lawsuit from one of their ex-employees. And, while the corporation has previously faced numerous lawsuits, this one is different. While everyone’s attention is on the case, the broadcasting channel has given one of their previous signed legends a tribute. They decided to use one of the shows to talk about their former Undisputed panel member Michael Irvin.
Everyone is aware of Michael’s iconic partnership with FOX. In August 2023, he signed with the broadcasting station for one of their shows, Undisputed. The show was a blast, and had some great names on the panel, including Skip Bayless, Richard Sherman, and Keyshawn Johnson. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and that’s what happened. Despite the show’s success, it was wrapped up in August 2024 when Bayless left the company. But today, we aren’t here to talk about Undisputed. We are here for SPEAK, the show that gave tribute to Irvin, as they wished him a very happy birthday.
Credit: Imago
Yes, that’s right. If you follow SPEAK, you will know that they share some sneak peeks from their show on their Instagram Stories. And their recent IG story had the screen captioned “Happy Birthday Playmaker!” They teased the birthday message for the fans, and the response to their tribute was overwhelming. Everyone was delighted with their decision, as Irvin is one of the most popular names in the NFL world. The former WR served as an analyst on the podcast “It Is What It Is” last season, where he received widespread appreciation from the NFL community.
While it’s a great move by the Fox, they also have another setback hanging at their doorstep, the lawsuit. Remember some time back, Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji filed a lawsuit where she claimed to have been assaulted at her workplace. She was associated with Fox for almost 12 years, and this was why she left last August. In January, Faraji filed a 42-page lawsuit against the corporation for several assaults on her.
And because of the ongoing lawsuit, one of the reporters on SPEAK has also been dropped from the show.
Joy Taylor’s comeback on Fox may be delayed even further
Noushin Faraji’s lawsuit has led Fox to halt a number of activities on their channel. As they have also removed several cast members from their shows, while firing others. Faraji’s lawsuit claims that Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, Fox Sports EVP Charlie Dixon, Bayless, and FS1 host Joy Taylor will be standing as the defendants. The company might be doing everything possible to resolve the issues, to save their reputation, as they have a big name from their channel involved in the lawsuit.
As per the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, claims were made that Charlie Dixon had touched Faraji inappropriately at a birthday party in West Hollywood. When she went to complain to Joy Taylor, the 38-year-old reportedly told her to “Get over it.” Since the lawsuit, Taylor has been notably absent from the show for six episodes, before which she was on a vacation. For the time being, the only conclusion is that Fox is yet to officially remove Taylor from the show. Her social media accounts continue to name her as the show’s host, as do the TV guides.
Since the trial is ongoing, the verdict could come out anytime sooner or later. This is not the first time that an employee of a large broadcasting organization has launched a lawsuit against them for assault. If you recall, the same happened in 2019 when Adrienne Lawrence filed a complaint against ESPN. And now with Joy yet to make any comeback on the show, the question is if Fox has already removed her and is now waiting for the right time to make an announcement?
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