Fox News Hires Britt McHenry, Known for Viral Video and Saying ESPN Demoted Her for Being White (Exclusive)

Fox News has hired conservative pundit Britt McHenry to provide commentary on the network’s new 24-hour digital streaming service, Fox Nation, TheWrap has learned. A spokesperson for Fox News confirmed the hiring.

McHenry is currently the host of “Like It Or Not” on Washington D.C.’s local WTTG Fox 5 and also serves as a contributor to The Federalist.

But she is also known for a viral video in which she was seen berating a towing company employee, and for saying that she was demoted from a previous job at ESPN because she was white and too-well paid.

The video was recorded when she worked as an ESPN reporter in 2015. In the video, she insulted the tow-truck company employee’s education and teeth, then told her to lose weight. The sports network suspended her for a week.

Also Read: ESPN Suspends Reporter After Expletive-Laden Video Leaks (Video)

In May, she drew attention again for tweeting and then deleting that she was demoted from her ESPN gig “because I was white & I made too much.”

It remains unclear what McHenry will do at her new job. A person familiar with the matter, however, told TheWrap that she will have her own show and make regular appearances on Fox Radio. A Fox News spokesperson denied that she would be doing either.

McHenry did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.

Work on Fox Nation has continued quietly since the network announced plans for the 24-hour subscription only service in February. A website for the new service, is empty save for a box requesting user emails and a large image of Tomi Lahren, who is so far the face of the venture.

Also Read: Former ESPN Star Britt McHenry Kicks Off New TV Gig With Twitter Feud

“Designed to enhance the FOX News viewer experience, Fox Nation will take a deep dive into the big issues of the day with live exclusive daily streaming content and long-form programming available only to subscribers,” said a press release in February describing the mission.

“Fox Nation will also include access to exclusive events and 20 plus years of archival FNC programming not available anywhere else. Interaction with all of FNC’s popular opinion hosts and personalities will also be a mainstay of the new platform.”

Fox Nation will launch in the fourth quarter of 2018 and will require no cable service to access. The content will be original and occasionally feature cameos from Fox News stars like Sean Hannity. The Fox News pivot to digital is an attempt to lock in younger audiences.

Mike Cernovich, a Timeline: From Choking Advice to Pizzagate to Firings (Photos)

Maybe you'd never heard of right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich before last week, when he helped get James Gunn fired from the next "Guardians of the Galaxy" film by highlighting Gunn's old Twitter jokes about rape and pedophilia. But Cernovich himself has a long history online, filled with both successes and statements he has since distanced himself from -- for reasons that will be obvious.
Advice on Choking Women

Before gaining fame as a Trump superfan, Cernovich got his start in the men's rights and pick-up artist community. His advice column, published on his blog "Danger and Play," included suggestions on the proper way to "choke" women during sex. This entry from December 2011 has since been deleted: "Choking works because it’s a show of dominance. Women only want to have consensual sex with men they know could rape them."
Pizzagate

Cernovich first came to wide public attention over his promotion of a conspiracy theory during the 2016 election that suggested that a pedophile ring was being run out of the basement of a Washington, D.C. pizzeria. The story was bunk, and Cernovich has moved to distance himself from Pizzagate.
Will Sommer/Twitter
John Conyers

Cernovich's biggest score of all probably wasn't James Gunn, but John Conyers. A tip provided by Cernovich to BuzzFeed about accusations of sexual misconduct forced the Democrat to resign his seat in disgrace in December 2017.
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Sam Seder

Mike Cernovich targeted the MSNBC contributor over a years-old joke about his daughter being raped. MSNBC dropped Seder in December 2017, but reinstated him after a public backlash.
MSNBC
Sopan Deb

Cernovich went after New York Times reporter Sopan Deb in March 2017 over a tweeted pun about the rapper Bow Wow. The incident earned Deb an official rebuke from the Times' then-public editor, Liz Spayd.
Josh Barro

In November 2017, Cernovich demanded an apology from Josh Barro after the Business Insider Senior Editor made fun of his lisp. Barro swiftly retreated.
Twitter
Perry Fein

In June 2018, Los Angeles Times freelancer Perry Fein slipped into Cernovich's DMs and wished harm upon him. His relationship with the newspaper was over just hours later.
Los Angeles Times Media Group
James Gunn

Last week, Cernovich helped lead an online campaign highlighting old tweets in which Gunn joked about rape about pedophilia. Gunn offered an apology, but was dropped by Disney from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise.
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Cheri Jacobus

Before the James Gunn situation, Cernovich also led a brief and successful campaign to pressure USA Today to drop columnist Cheri Jacobus. The decision from the paper came after Jacobus' bizarre comments about convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Michael Ian Black

Cernovich has trained his fire on comedian Michael Ian Black, who has said several times on Twitter that his tweets about pedophilia were only jokes.
YouTube
Dan Harmon

Fresh off his victory in ousting Gunn from "Guardians of the Galaxy," Cernovich forced "Rick and Morty" co-creator Dan Harmon and his employers at Adult Swim to apologize over an old sketch that featured Harmon graphically simulating the rape of a baby. (The sketch used a doll, not an actual baby.)
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The right-wing provocateur has become a thorn to liberals online

Maybe you'd never heard of right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich before last week, when he helped get James Gunn fired from the next "Guardians of the Galaxy" film by highlighting Gunn's old Twitter jokes about rape and pedophilia. But Cernovich himself has a long history online, filled with both successes and statements he has since distanced himself from -- for reasons that will be obvious.

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Mike Cernovich, a Timeline: From Choking Advice to Pizzagate to Firings (Photos)

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