Ex-Fox reporter Ed Henry sues CNN, NPR

Former Fox News host Ed Henry sued CNN and NPR on Thursday, accusing them of defamation for their coverage of his dismissal from Fox last year.

The suit, filed in a New York federal court, alleges that reporters for the two news outlets have “longstanding grudges against Fox News and/or individuals associated with the company” that influenced their reporting on Henry’s firing.

Henry was dismissed from Fox after an investigation into a complaint about “willful sexual misconduct in the workplace,” the network said at the time. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Thursday’s lawsuit names NPR’s media reporter David Folkenflik as a defendant. Folkenflik reported in July 2020 that top executives at Fox were warned in 2017 that giving Henry hosting roles would damage reform efforts after other scandals rocked the network.

Henry alleged in his lawsuit that NPR’s story is false because it implies he “had a history of sexual misconduct at Fox News,” which he says is not true.

The suit also names CNN’s Brian Stelter and Alisyn Camerota as defendants for an on-air conversation in which they talked about Henry’s alleged conduct. Stelter and Camerota discussed a lawsuit against Fox News accusing Henry of rape and alleging he retaliated against two women who rejected his advances.

Henry said in his lawsuit that the two CNN employees relied on Folkenflik’s reporting and that Stelter “recklessly republished Mr. Folkenflik’s allegation without confirming its authenticity.”

Isabel Lara, NPR’s executive director of media relations, told The Hill in a statement that “NPR stands behind David Folkenflik’s reporting and will vigorously defend it against this meritless claim.”

“Millions of Americans trust NPR to provide accurate information about the world and their communities every day; we take this responsibility very seriously,” Lara said.

CNN did not have a comment when reached by The Hill. 

The suit comes a day after Henry filed a similar suit against Fox News over statements the company made when it fired him.

Fox News told The Hill that it is “fully prepared to defend itself” against the “baseless allegations” in the lawsuit.