Greta Van Susteren‘s famous Gretawire blog is down and it’s official: She’s gone from Fox News and finally she has responded to everyone who is wondering what happened.
Her Facebook post published Monday makes it clear that she’s looking for broadcast work.
Judging from Fox News’ memo, which cooly thanked her for her contributions for 14 years but didn’t go out of its way to elaborate on her presence at the network, the split was not amicable.
To be sure, Van Susteren agreed she wasn’t happy there as of late.
Yes, I have left the Fox News Channel.
On Thursday night, I made my decision and informed Fox News of my decision that I was leaving Fox News Channel per my contract. Fox has not felt like home to me for a few years and I took advantage of the clause in my contract which allows me to leave now. The clause had a time limitation, meaning I could not wait. I love my staff, I love my colleagues, and I love the crews. That is the hardest part of this decision as they are wonderful people. And most of all? I love the viewers — even the ones who have gotten mad at me over the years and taken swipes. 🙂 I hope to continue my career in broadcasting.
The news comes on the day that Gretchen Carlson settled her sexual harassment lawsuit with Roger Ailes for $20 million.
Van Susteren defended Ailes, saying that she had never experienced what Carlson said she had. She also wondered how the news could be true since she’d never heard about it.
FNC media reporter Howard Kurtz heavily insinuated that Van Susteren left the network because of Ailes’ resignation.
“According to a source familiar with the process, Van Susteren asked to renegotiate her contract after Roger Ailes resigned under pressure as Fox News chairman following a sexual harassment lawsuit. Van Susteren is one of a number of key Fox personnel whose contract included a “key man” clause allowing her to leave if Ailes departed.
When those negotiations deadlocked, Van Susteren chose to invoke the departure option, the sources said. Her last show was Thursday, and the swiftness of events did not allow her to deliver an on-air farewell.”
Van Susteren rose in prevalence by covering the O.J. Simpson murder trial as a legal analyst for CNN.
According to her Wikipedia profile, she also helped found an orphanage in Haiti with her husband, attorney John Coale.
Politico media reporters Hadas Gold and Alex Weprin are speculating that there’s a spot open at HLN, which Van Susteren could fill.
So far, she’s not fighting it.