Tyrus, a former professional wrestler turned Fox Nation host, was removed from his role as co-host of the program “Un-PC” and given his own show following a sexual harassment complaint, The Daily Beast reported.
Co-host Britt McHenry reportedly told management that she received lewd, unsolicited text messages from Tyrus, who was born George Murdoch.
“Un-PC” is an anchor program for Fox Nation, the subscription streaming platform Fox launched last fall for political commentary. Tyrus is one of its highest-profile stars.
The Daily Beast reported that the former wrestler was known for “politically incorrect” humor and cited unnamed sources who said they were not surprised by the allegation. Fox investigated McHenry’s complaint, according to The Daily Beast, and decided the best solution was to break up the “Un-PC” hosts.
Fox News released a statement on the situation calling it “resolved” after initially declining to comment.
“While we are not at liberty to discuss the details of any employee matter, we follow strict protocols when matters such as these are brought to our attention, and we make no exceptions,” the network said. “The process works because of the extensive systems and measures we have instituted. This situation was independently investigated and we consider the matter resolved. We respect the confidentiality of all involved.”
The Daily Beast reported last week that Tyrus had been pulled from “Un-PC” following a complaint involving McHenry, but the nature of the complaint was not known.
The outlet now reports that Fox management is aware of the situation but has no plans to fire Tyrus. On Wednesday, Tyrus debuted the first episode of his new show, “Nuff Said,” featuring an interview with country music star Johnny Rich.
Comedian Tom Shillue appears to have joined McHenry as co-host of “Un-PC,” an opinion show specializing in what the network calls “hot topics.”
Fox News has been dogged by complaints of workplace sexual misconduct since The New York Times uncovered accusations against the company’s late chief, Roger Ailes, in 2016. Allegations against Ailes ranged from sexual harassment to decades of “psychological torture.”
High-profile host Bill O’Reilly was forced out in the months afterward following other sexual harassment allegations, with host Eric Bolling following after that.
Fox News executive Bill Shine was pushed out over his poor handling of the complaints. He later landed a gig at the Trump White House, which he has since left.
This story has been updated with comment from Fox News.