The Fox News lawsuit saga remains one of the most expensive media legal battles in American history. Fox News paid $787.5 million to settle Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation case in April 2023, and in 2026, new cases continue to pile pressure on Fox Corporation.
This article breaks down every Fox News lawsuit still active or resolved. You will get exact settlement amounts, case timelines, trial dates, and status updates for 2026.
One number puts it all in perspective. Fox Corporation has spent well over $1 billion on legal costs tied to election coverage lawsuits since 2021.
The Smartmatic case alone seeks $2.7 billion in damages. That trial is now the one to watch.
Fox News Lawsuit Settlement
The Fox News lawsuit settlement refers primarily to the $787.5 million deal Fox reached with Dominion Voting Systems on April 18, 2023. This was the largest publicly known defamation settlement in United States history at the time it was announced.
The settlement came on the first day of trial. Jury selection had already begun in Delaware Superior Court before both sides agreed to the payout. Judge Eric M. Davis presided over the case.
Fox News did not issue an on-air apology as part of the deal. The network released a statement acknowledging the court’s findings. But no anchor read a correction on live television.
The terms beyond the dollar amount remain confidential. Neither side has disclosed whether the settlement includes non-monetary provisions like editorial policy changes.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Settlement Amount | $787.5 million |
| Date Reached | April 18, 2023 |
| Court | Delaware Superior Court |
| Case Number | N21C-03-257 EMD |
| Presiding Judge | Judge Eric M. Davis |
| Public Apology | None given on air |
Think of this settlement like a company paying to skip an exam it knew it would fail. Fox had every internal message exposed during discovery, and going to trial meant putting those messages in front of a jury on live television.
Fox News Lawsuit Update 2026
As of 2026, the biggest active Fox News lawsuit is Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion defamation case. This case is proceeding through New York Supreme Court and has survived multiple motions to dismiss.
Fox Corporation’s annual filings with the SEC continue to list ongoing litigation as a material risk. The company has set aside reserves, though the exact amount remains undisclosed in public filings.
Beyond Smartmatic, several smaller cases have either settled or been dismissed. The Abby Grossberg employment lawsuit reached a resolution. Shareholder derivative suits have been consolidated.
Here is a snapshot of where things stand right now.
| Case | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dominion Voting Systems | Settled ($787.5M, April 2023) |
| Smartmatic | Active, headed toward trial |
| Abby Grossberg | Settled/resolved |
| Shareholder derivative suits | Consolidated, pending |
The legal bills keep climbing for Fox Corporation. Every quarterly earnings call since 2023 has included questions from analysts about litigation exposure.
Fox News Dominion Settlement
The Fox News Dominion settlement resolved a defamation case filed on March 26, 2021. Dominion Voting Systems alleged that Fox News knowingly broadcast false claims about its voting machines rigging the 2020 presidential election.
Discovery in the case revealed thousands of internal messages. Fox hosts, producers, and executives privately called the election fraud claims nonsense. Yet those same claims aired repeatedly on Fox programming.
Judge Eric M. Davis issued a critical pretrial ruling in February 2023. He found that Dominion’s core factual claims were “true and accurate.” This meant Fox could not argue at trial that the election fraud statements were actually true.
That ruling effectively gutted Fox’s defense. The only remaining question for the jury was whether Fox acted with “actual malice,” meaning it knew the claims were false or showed reckless disregard for the truth.
Key internal messages that surfaced during discovery included:
- Tucker Carlson calling Sidney Powell’s claims “insane”
- Sean Hannity expressing doubt about fraud theories in private texts
- Rupert Murdoch admitting in a deposition that certain Fox hosts “endorsed” false claims
- Producers flagging factual problems with guest segments that aired anyway
The settlement stopped all of this from being read aloud in open court with cameras rolling.
Key Takeaway: The Dominion settlement cost Fox $787.5 million but spared the network from a televised trial where its own internal messages would have been presented to a jury and the public.
How Much Did Fox News Pay Dominion
Fox News paid Dominion Voting Systems exactly $787.5 million. This figure was announced publicly in open court on the first day of trial.
To put that number in context, Dominion originally sought $1.6 billion in damages. The settlement landed at roughly 49% of the original demand. In defamation cases, settling for nearly half the ask is considered a very large payout.
Fox Corporation reported the settlement as a charge against its fiscal year 2023 earnings. The payment reduced Fox Corp’s net income significantly that quarter.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original Demand | $1.6 billion |
| Settlement Amount | $787.5 million |
| Percentage of Demand | ~49% |
| Fox Corp Annual Revenue (2023) | ~$14.9 billion |
| Settlement as % of Revenue | ~5.3% |
For a company of Fox’s size, this was a painful but survivable hit. It’s like a family earning $100,000 a year having to write a check for $5,300 all at once, except with nine more zeros.
Fox News Lawsuit Settlement Amount
The confirmed Fox News lawsuit settlement amount across all publicly known cases exceeds $787.5 million as of 2026. The Dominion case accounts for the vast majority of that total.
Additional settlements tied to the Abby Grossberg employment lawsuit and other smaller claims add to the overall number. Those amounts have not been publicly disclosed.
If the Smartmatic case settles or results in a jury verdict, the total could climb dramatically. Smartmatic seeks $2.7 billion, which would dwarf the Dominion figure.
Legal analysts have estimated Fox Corporation’s total litigation spending, including attorney fees, settlements, and reserves, at somewhere between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion since 2021. That includes payments to outside law firms like Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, which represented Fox in the Dominion case.
- $787.5 million: Dominion settlement (confirmed)
- Undisclosed: Grossberg settlement
- Undisclosed: Shareholder suit reserves
- $2.7 billion: Smartmatic demand (pending)
- Hundreds of millions: Estimated legal fees since 2021
Fox News Dominion Settlement Payment
The Fox News Dominion settlement payment of $787.5 million was structured as a direct corporate payment from Fox Corporation to Dominion Voting Systems. The exact payment schedule has not been fully disclosed to the public.
Fox Corporation’s SEC filings indicate the company recorded the full settlement charge in its fiscal third quarter of 2023. The company stated it had sufficient cash and credit facilities to cover the payout.
By 2026, it is widely expected that the full amount has been paid or is nearly fully paid. Fox Corp has not reported any outstanding settlement liabilities related to Dominion in recent filings.
| Payment Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Total Amount | $787.5 million |
| Paying Entity | Fox Corporation |
| Receiving Entity | Dominion Voting Systems |
| Payment Structure | Not fully disclosed |
| Fiscal Quarter Recorded | Q3 FY2023 |
| Insurance Coverage | Partial (amount undisclosed) |
Some portion of the settlement was covered by Fox’s media liability insurance policies. The insured portion has not been publicly confirmed, but industry sources have estimated it at a fraction of the total.
Key Takeaway: Fox Corporation absorbed the $787.5 million Dominion payout primarily from corporate funds, with partial insurance coverage, and by 2026 the payment appears to be fully or nearly fully completed.
Fox News Smartmatic Lawsuit 2026
The Fox News Smartmatic lawsuit is the largest active defamation case against Fox News in 2026. Smartmatic, a voting technology company, is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from Fox News, Fox Corporation, and several individual defendants.
The case was filed in New York Supreme Court in February 2021. Smartmatic alleges that Fox News ran a coordinated disinformation campaign claiming Smartmatic’s technology helped rig the 2020 election.
Named individual defendants have included former hosts and guests such as Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, and Lou Dobbs. Lou Dobbs’ show was cancelled by Fox Business in February 2021, shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
Unlike the Dominion case, which moved relatively quickly through Delaware courts, the Smartmatic case has faced procedural delays in New York. Multiple motions to dismiss were partially granted and partially denied.
The claims that survived dismissal include:
- Defamation per se allegations
- Disparagement claims
- Claims against Fox Corporation as a parent entity
- Individual liability claims against on-air personalities
This case could be even more damaging than Dominion. The dollar amount is more than three times larger. And Fox now has the precedent of the Dominion settlement working against it in public perception.
Smartmatic vs Fox News Trial Date
The Smartmatic vs Fox News trial date has been a moving target. As of early 2026, the trial is expected to take place in late 2026 or early 2027 in New York Supreme Court.
Pretrial discovery has been extensive. Both sides have exchanged millions of documents. Depositions of Fox executives and on-air talent have been conducted.
Fox News has fought to delay the trial through various procedural motions. The network has also argued that some claims should be dismissed on First Amendment grounds.
| Timeline Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Lawsuit Filed | February 2021 |
| Initial Motion to Dismiss Ruling | 2021-2022 |
| Discovery Phase | 2022-2025 |
| Expected Trial Window | Late 2026 to Early 2027 |
| Damages Sought | $2.7 billion |
The Smartmatic trial, if it happens, will be the defamation trial the Dominion case never became. Cameras, witnesses, and internal documents will all be on display.
Court watchers say Fox may settle again to avoid trial. But Smartmatic has publicly stated it wants its day in court. The company’s CEO has said accountability matters more than a check.
Fox News Defamation Lawsuit
A Fox News defamation lawsuit occurs when a plaintiff claims Fox broadcast false statements of fact that damaged their reputation or business. The legal standard for these cases depends on whether the plaintiff is a public or private figure.
Under the “actual malice” standard from New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964), public figures and public companies must prove the defendant either knew a statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
Both Dominion and Smartmatic are companies, not public officials. But courts treated them as having to meet a standard close to actual malice because of the public interest nature of the election coverage.
What made the Fox cases unusual was the volume of internal evidence. In most defamation cases, proving the defendant’s state of mind is nearly impossible. Here, Fox’s own texts, emails, and deposition testimony showed hosts and executives privately doubting the claims they aired.
Key legal elements in Fox defamation cases:
- False statement of fact (not opinion)
- Publication to a third party (broadcast to millions)
- Fault (actual malice or negligence)
- Damages (financial harm to the plaintiff’s business)
These cases have reshaped how media lawyers think about liability. The era of assuming defamation suits against networks are unwinnable is over.
Key Takeaway: Fox News defamation lawsuits succeeded where most fail because internal communications provided unusually strong evidence of actual malice, the toughest legal standard to prove.
Who Sued Fox News
Multiple parties have sued Fox News over its 2020 election coverage and workplace practices. The list of plaintiffs spans voting technology companies, former employees, and Fox Corporation shareholders.
Here is the complete roster of known lawsuits.
| Plaintiff | Type of Case | Amount Sought | Status (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Voting Systems | Defamation | $1.6 billion | Settled ($787.5M) |
| Smartmatic | Defamation | $2.7 billion | Active |
| Abby Grossberg | Employment/retaliation | Undisclosed | Resolved |
| Fox Corp shareholders | Derivative/fiduciary duty | Undisclosed | Consolidated, pending |
| Ray Epps | Defamation | Undisclosed | Filed 2023 |
Dominion and Smartmatic both make voting technology. Their lawsuits focus on Fox’s repeated claims that their machines were used to steal the election from Donald Trump.
Abby Grossberg was a Fox News producer who alleged she was coerced into giving misleading testimony during the Dominion lawsuit preparation. She filed separate claims for hostile work environment and retaliation.
Fox Corporation shareholders filed derivative suits arguing that the board of directors failed to oversee the network’s editorial standards, resulting in massive financial losses from the settlements.
Fox News Dominion Case Outcome
The Fox News Dominion case outcome was a $787.5 million settlement reached on April 18, 2023, the first day of trial. No verdict was issued because the case never went to the jury.
Judge Eric M. Davis had already ruled before trial that Dominion’s factual allegations were true. The jury would only have decided whether Fox acted with actual malice and, if so, how much to award in damages.
Fox’s decision to settle on day one signaled that the network’s legal team believed a jury trial posed extreme financial and reputational risk. Some legal analysts estimated a potential jury verdict could have exceeded $1 billion or more.
The outcome had several consequences:
- Fox avoided a public trial with live coverage
- No legal precedent was set (settlements do not create case law)
- Dominion received a guaranteed payout without the risk of appeal
- Fox did not admit guilt or wrongdoing in the settlement statement
For media law, the case’s biggest impact came from the pretrial phase, not the settlement itself. Judge Davis’s ruling that the statements were provably false set a roadmap for future defamation plaintiffs suing media companies.
Fox News Lawsuit Timeline
The Fox News lawsuit timeline stretches from early 2021 through 2026 and beyond. Here is a chronological breakdown of every major event.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 2021 | Smartmatic sends legal demand letters to Fox News |
| February 2021 | Smartmatic files $2.7 billion defamation suit in New York |
| March 2021 | Dominion files $1.6 billion defamation suit in Delaware |
| 2021-2022 | Discovery phase begins in both cases |
| February 2023 | Judge Davis rules Dominion’s factual claims are true |
| March 2023 | Jury selection begins in Dominion trial |
| April 18, 2023 | Dominion settlement announced: $787.5 million |
| Mid-2023 | Abby Grossberg files employment lawsuit |
| Late 2023 | Shareholder derivative suits filed |
| 2024 | Smartmatic discovery continues; Fox motions to dismiss partially denied |
| 2025 | Smartmatic depositions of Fox executives completed |
| 2026 | Smartmatic trial expected late 2026 or early 2027 |
The pace of these cases tells you something important. From filing to settlement, the Dominion case took about two years. The Smartmatic case has already taken five years and counting.
New York courts move slower than Delaware courts. That difference alone has added years to the Smartmatic timeline.
Key Takeaway: The Fox News lawsuit timeline now spans over five years, with the Dominion case resolved in 2023 but the larger Smartmatic case still grinding toward trial in late 2026 or early 2027.
Fox News Defamation Case Impact
The Fox News defamation case impact has been felt across the entire American media industry. Since the Dominion settlement, newsrooms and legal departments have changed how they evaluate on-air claims about companies and products.
Media liability insurance premiums have increased across the industry. Underwriters now ask more detailed questions about editorial fact-checking procedures. Policies that once seemed like formalities now carry real scrutiny.
For Fox News specifically, the impact includes:
- Financial: Over $1 billion in combined legal costs, settlements, and reserves
- Editorial: Reported internal changes to how guest claims are vetted before airing
- Personnel: Departure of Tucker Carlson in April 2023, shortly after the Dominion settlement
- Reputation: Ongoing public association with the “biggest defamation settlement in history” label
The broader legal impact is significant too. Defamation plaintiffs now point to the Dominion case as proof that suing a major network can succeed. Before this case, the conventional wisdom was that actual malice was nearly impossible to prove against media companies.
That conventional wisdom is dead. The Fox cases proved that when internal communications contradict on-air statements, the actual malice standard becomes a weapon for plaintiffs, not a shield for defendants.
Fox News Shareholder Lawsuit
Fox News shareholder lawsuits are derivative actions filed by Fox Corporation investors who allege the company’s board of directors failed to prevent the defamation liability. These suits target the board’s oversight responsibilities, not the defamation itself.
The core claim is that Fox Corp’s directors and officers breached their fiduciary duties. Shareholders argue that the board knew or should have known that Fox News was broadcasting false information that would inevitably lead to costly litigation.
The Rupert Murdoch deposition in the Dominion case provided ammunition for these claims. Murdoch testified that he could have intervened to stop certain false claims from airing but chose not to.
| Shareholder Suit Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Fox Corporation Board of Directors |
| Legal Theory | Breach of fiduciary duty |
| Key Evidence | Murdoch deposition testimony |
| Status (2026) | Consolidated, pending resolution |
| Potential Outcome | Settlement or board governance reforms |
These cases rarely result in massive payouts to individual shareholders. More commonly, they lead to corporate governance reforms, such as new board oversight committees or revised editorial compliance policies.
Think of shareholder suits as the corporate immune system responding to a virus. They don’t cure the underlying problem, but they force the organization to build better defenses.
Fox News Abby Grossberg Lawsuit
The Fox News Abby Grossberg lawsuit involved a former Fox News producer who filed employment claims against the network in 2023. Grossberg alleged she was pressured to provide misleading testimony during Dominion lawsuit preparations.
Grossberg worked as a booking producer for Maria Bartiromo’s show and later for Tucker Carlson’s program. She claimed Fox attorneys coached her to give testimony that protected the network rather than reflecting the truth.
Her lawsuit included claims of:
- Coercion to give misleading testimony
- Hostile work environment based on gender discrimination
- Retaliation after she raised concerns internally
The case was filed in New York state court. It attracted significant media attention because Grossberg’s allegations suggested Fox’s legal defense in the Dominion case was itself problematic.
By 2026, the Grossberg case has been resolved. The terms of the resolution are confidential. Neither side has disclosed the settlement amount or whether it included non-monetary terms.
Grossberg’s case mattered because it opened a second front against Fox. While Dominion and Smartmatic attacked Fox’s on-air conduct, Grossberg’s claims targeted the network’s internal legal and workplace culture.
Key Takeaway: The Abby Grossberg case exposed alleged internal problems with how Fox News prepared its legal defense, adding a workplace misconduct dimension to the network’s legal troubles beyond defamation.
Fox News Settlement Tax Implications
Fox News settlement tax implications affect Fox Corporation as the paying entity, not individual consumers, since these were not class action settlements with consumer payouts. Fox Corp’s tax treatment of the $787.5 million Dominion payment is a corporate tax matter.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, settlement payments for defamation claims are generally tax-deductible as ordinary business expenses. However, deductibility depends on whether the payment is classified as compensatory damages versus punitive damages.
Since the Dominion settlement was a lump-sum payment without a jury verdict, there is no breakdown between compensatory and punitive categories. This likely benefits Fox Corp because the entire amount can be treated as a deductible business expense.
| Tax Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the settlement tax-deductible for Fox? | Likely yes, as a business expense |
| Does the IRS treat defamation settlements differently? | Depends on compensatory vs. punitive split |
| Did Dominion pay taxes on the $787.5M? | Yes, as taxable income |
| Are there consumer tax implications? | No, these are not consumer payouts |
For Dominion Voting Systems, the $787.5 million received is taxable income. The company would offset some of this with deductions for legal fees paid to its attorneys at Susman Godfrey.
If you are a consumer wondering whether any Fox News settlement affects your taxes, the answer is no. These are corporate defamation cases, not class action consumer settlements. No individual consumer receives a payout from these cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Fox News pay in the Dominion settlement?
Fox News paid $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems.
The settlement was reached on April 18, 2023, the first day of trial in Delaware Superior Court.
It remains one of the largest defamation settlements in American history.
Is the Smartmatic lawsuit against Fox News still active in 2026?
Yes, the Smartmatic lawsuit is still active in 2026.
The case is proceeding in New York Supreme Court with a trial expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
Smartmatic seeks $2.7 billion in damages.
Did Fox News admit wrongdoing in the Dominion settlement?
No, Fox News did not formally admit wrongdoing.
The network issued a statement acknowledging “the court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false.”
This fell short of a direct admission of liability or an on-air apology.
What is the largest defamation settlement in US history?
The $787.5 million Fox News/Dominion settlement is the largest publicly known defamation settlement in US history.
No prior media defamation case had come close to this figure.
The Smartmatic case, if resolved, could potentially surpass it.
Can Fox News be sued again for defamation?
Yes, Fox News can be sued for defamation in future cases.
The Dominion settlement does not grant Fox immunity from other claims.
Any person or company that believes Fox broadcast false and damaging statements about them could file suit.
What to Watch Next
Fox Corporation’s legal saga is far from over. The Smartmatic trial looms as the next major event, with $2.7 billion on the line and a trial window in late 2026.
Keep an eye on the New York Supreme Court docket for scheduling updates. If Smartmatic and Fox reach a settlement before trial, expect it to make national headlines within hours.
The one thing that is clear in 2026: the cost of broadcasting false claims about real companies has never been higher. Fox’s checkbook can confirm that.
