Fox News Announces Tucker Carlson's Departure in Surprise Message

Tucker Carlson is making a swift exit from Fox News.

So swift, in fact, that the conservative anchor's last episode of Fox News Tonight already aired on April 21, the network has confirmed. 

"FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways," the company announced in an April 24 statement. "We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor."

Until a new host takes over, Fox News Tonight will be anchored by a rotating group of Fox News personalities.

No further details have been given on the reason for the parting of ways, and the 53-year-old—who began hosting Fox News Tonight in 2016—has yet to publicly comment on his departure.

The announcement of Carlson's exit comes nearly a week after Fox reached a massive $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in a last minute effort to avoid a trial in its defamation case.

Dominion had filed the lawsuit against Fox in March 2021 alleging that the network had knowingly spread false information on air about its voting machines amid the 2020 presidential election.

"We acknowledge the Court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false," Fox said in an April 18 statement obtained by NBC News. "This settlement reflects Fox's continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues."

Carlson had come under scrutiny amid the case after text messages showing him calling out former President Donald Trump were released to the public.

"We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can't wait," he wrote in one text obtained by NBC News in March. "I hate him passionately...I can't handle much more of this."