Fox News has discreetly retracted a controversial series from its digital offerings, a notable shift in posture as Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, prepares to wage a legal battle against the network. Hunter Biden’s legal team sent a stern warning of imminent legal action, alleging that the network engaged in a “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light,” as well as the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images, which fall under the scope of revenge porn.
The six-part series titled “The Trial of Hunter Biden,” which aired on Fox’s streaming services in October 2021, dramatized a fictional trial involving charges that Hunter Biden has never faced. His legal team has demanded its removal, arguing that the portrayal manipulates facts, distorts the truth, and blurs the line between reality and fiction, leading to potential defamation.
Fox News, in a calculated response, stated that the removal of the program was simply “out of an abundance of caution,” while they reviewed the allegations presented by Biden’s attorneys. This marks a sharp contrast to Fox’s initial defiant stance asserting their coverage as constitutionally protected, and pointing to Hunter Biden’s public figure status and past legal scrutiny.
The evolving legal saga comes on the heels of Fox’s costly settlements in defamation claims related to the 2020 election, including a staggering $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. These precedents, alongside the recent developments, suggest a more cautious approach by the network.
The potential lawsuit mirrors similar cases where networks have faced legal repercussions for their coverage. Fox News itself is currently contesting a $2.7 billion lawsuit from Smartmatic, a voting system company, and is dealing with shareholder lawsuits for its coverage during the 2020 election. These cases have prompted discussions about the balance between media freedoms and accountability for the dissemination of false information.
Hunter Biden’s legal efforts have been bolstered by the indictment of an FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, whose allegations against Biden were used by Fox in its coverage, now revealed to be false. The legal team is pushing for on-air corrections by prominent Fox hosts who reported on Smirnov’s now-debunked claims.
This legal dispute unfolds as Hunter Biden faces upcoming trials on unrelated gun and tax charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The situation underscores the broader consequences of media coverage and the legal boundaries of public figure defamation.
Relevant articles:
– Fox News Rushes to Do Damage Control After Hunter Biden Lawsuit, newrepublic.com, 05/01/2024
– Lawyers for Hunter Biden plan to sue Fox News ‘imminently’, NBC News, 04/30/2024
– Hunter Biden Plays Legal Whac-a-Mole With Fox News Retraction Demands, Yahoo News UK, 05/01/2024
– Hunter Biden Is in Full Revenge Mode for Fox News Revenge Porn, The New Republic, 04/29/2024
– Elise Stefanik Is a Trump Stooge—and This Ethics Complaint Proves It, The New Republic, 04/30/2024