Public figures associated with 21st Century Fox are taking a cue from producer Seth MacFarlane and speaking out against Fox News, the media company’s conservative news subsidiary.
The biggest rebuke came from “Modern Family” showrunner Steve Levitan, who announced Tuesday that he will be “setting up shop elsewhere.” His contract to produce the ABC show through Fox’s production company recently expired, Deadline reported. He said he won’t change his mind if 21st Century Fox is sold; current bidders include Comcast and Disney.
Levitan specifically criticized Fox News for not being critical in its coverage of the Trump administration’s policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the U.S. border.
Levitan had tweeted earlier that he was “disgusted” to work for the company. He also showed support for MacFarlane, who had said he was “embarrassed” to work for the media giant in light of Fox News host Tucker Carlson telling viewers not to believe other news outlets.
Longtime movie producer Paul Feig and actor Adam Scott were similarly critical of their employer.
Feig, who directed and produced the 2015 film “Spy” for Fox, shared Levitan’s original tweet, which included a link to Fox News host Laura Ingraham downplaying detention centers for immigrant children by comparing them to summer camps.
Scott, who currently stars on the Fox show “Ghosted,” accused Fox News of “lying about state-sponsored child abuse,” echoing language used by the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Carlson has also come under fire for comments about the situation at the border.
“You think any of these people really care about family separation? ... No matter what they tell you, this is not about helping children,” Carlson said Monday, referring to so-called “elites” like Hillary Clinton and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “Their goal is to change your country forever — and they are succeeding, by the way.”