Fox News has apologized to the family of Sgt. Nicole Gee, a Marine killed in the Kabul airport attack in 2021, after publishing a false story that claimed they had to pay $60,000 to bring her remains back from Afghanistan.
The story, which was published on July 23, 2023, was based on a Facebook post by Gee’s sister-in-law, Cassie Ann Gee, who had set up a fundraiser for a memorial service for the fallen Marine. Fox News misinterpreted the post and reported that the Pentagon refused to cover the cost of transporting Gee’s remains, leaving the family with a hefty bill.
The story sparked outrage from the Gee family and the Marine Corps, who called it “disgusting” and “absolutely false”. Cassie Ann Gee clarified on Facebook that the money was not for transportation, but for a memorial service that would honor Gee’s life and legacy. She said she was “so angry” and “hurt” by Fox News’ false reporting.
The Marine Corps also issued a statement, saying that it had not received any requests for assistance with funeral expenses from the families of the 13 service members killed in the Kabul airport attack. It said that Fox News’ story was “disrespectful to the memory of Sgt. Gee and her service to our nation”.
Fox News did not correct or retract the story until August 26, 2023, exactly two years after the Kabul airport attack. It issued an apology to the Gee family and said that it had addressed the situation internally.
“We are deeply sorry for this mistake and offer our sincerest apologies to the Gee family. We have addressed this situation internally and taken steps to ensure it does not happen again,” a Fox News spokesperson said.
The apology came after several lawmakers and veterans groups condemned Fox News for spreading lies and misinformation about the Gold Star family. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, said that Fox News should be ashamed of themselves for “disrespecting our fallen heroes and their families”.
Richard Herrera Jr., Gee’s brother, said that he was appalled by Fox News’ false story and that it added more pain to their grief. He said that his sister-in-law was an amazing person who gave her life for this country and deserved better treatment from the media.
“I can’t even begin to explain how painful it is to see something like this. My sister-in-law was an amazing person who gave her life for this country and this is how they repay her?” he said.
Relevant articles:
– Fox News apologizes to Gold Star family after facing backlash over false story, CNN Business, August 26, 2023
– Fox News apologizes to Gold Star family for false story Marine Corps called ‘disgusting’, Yahoo News, August 28, 2023
– Fox News Apologizes After False Story About Gold Star Family, The Daily Beast, August 27, 2023
– Fox News apologises over false story claiming dead marine’s family ‘paid for remains to be returned to US’, Yahoo News UK, August 28, 2023