Former MSNBC anchor Tiffany Cross was fired from the network earlier this month, but it looks like she’s ready to fight back. Cross just hired attorney Bryan Freedman to help her get answers about her abrupt dismissal.
Cross, the former host of The Cross Connection, was fired on November 4 after almost two years on the air. Her dismissal was very sudden, and many speculated that there was behind-the-scenes drama.
Page Six reported that NBC head Rashida Jones had a personal problem with Cross, while other sources claim Cross’ pricey expense reports were the cause. The network’s official reason for her firing was that Cross’ reporting did not meet their standards.
Others claim she showed “repeated bad behavior on and off-air.” Cross frequently made incendiary comments on the air—during one broadcast, she called for Florida to be “castrated” from the rest of the country.
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Whether it was a business decision or a personal vendetta, Cross is seeking answers. She just hired Freedman, the same lawyer who helped Gabrielle Union after her exit from America’s Got Talent. The actress claimed she faced workplace diversity issues. Freedman also represented Megyn Kelly after her dismissal from NBC.
“The lawyers have been in touch. She wants to know why she got fired,” a source told Page Six. “What’s the business case for letting her go? Brian Williams lied and they brought him back. Joe [Scarborough] and Mika [Brzezinski] had a [romance], and they expanded their hours and paid them more money. Many people in the business feel like [Cross] was made an example out of.”
Another source hit back at the claims that Cross racked up $100,000 in expenses while staying at five-star hotels, saying, “Joe and Mika stay there all the time.” Other former MSNBC employees are coming to Cross’ defense.
Keith Olbermann tweeted, “It’s a tradition as old as MSNBC itself. If an anchor leaves — or she gets fired — when NBC gets slammed for it, it anonymously [smears] the talent and [portrays] them as a prima donna.” Whether NBC fired Cross for personal or business reasons, it looks like Cross and Freedman will get to the bottom of the situation.
