Fox News Media ends Maria Bartiromo's tenure after 12 years

Fox News Media said on Thursday that veteran anchor Maria Bartiromo has left the company, ending a 12-and-a-half-year tenure that included a three-hour weekday program on Fox Business and the Sunday show "Sunday Morning Futures" on Fox News. The network issued a brief statement, thanking her for her work and wishing her success in her next chapter.

"Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media," the release read, adding, "We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 and a half years and wish her all the best on her next chapter."

Bartiromo, who previously built a reputation as a financial journalist at CNBC, had been off the air since early August, with no public explanation for her absence. The network said her weekday business program will be renamed "Mornings with FOX Business" and will feature rotating anchors, while her Sunday show will be temporarily hosted by contributor and former congressman Jason Chaffetz.

The departure follows Bartiromo’s involvement in two defamation lawsuits related to Fox News’ coverage of the 2020 election, one of which was settled in 2023 and the other remains pending. Internal communications released during the litigation revealed that she had expressed support for claims that the election was rigged. Documents from the ongoing case also disclosed that she earned $70 million during her time at Fox.

Speculation among staff and observers has linked the timing of her exit to the pending lawsuit, though no official reason was provided. By Thursday afternoon, Fox Business had removed her profile from its website.