A frequent guest on Fox News' late-night show Gutfeld! finds himself at the center of controversy following an incident with a female staffer at the network's New York headquarters.
According to Daily Mail, comedian Tyler Fischer, 38, has been blacklisted from Fox News after being accused of harassing a young female employee during a visit to the network's Manhattan studios in January.
The incident occurred when Fischer arrived early for his scheduled appearance on Gutfeld! on January 30. He encountered a female staffer sitting at her desk and initiated what he described as a "flirty little interaction" that ended with him asking her out for coffee.
Fischer maintains his innocence, stating he simply introduced himself and politely asked the woman if she would like to get coffee sometime. However, an unnamed source familiar with the situation provided a different version of events.
The source claims Fischer forcibly grabbed the woman's phone, entered his number into it, and returned it while demanding confirmation that she now had his contact information. The interaction was reportedly overheard by other network employees.
Shortly after the encounter, security personnel escorted Fischer off the floor following the staffer's harassment complaint. He was then accompanied to the Gutfeld! set to complete his scheduled appearance.
Two weeks after the incident, Fox News canceled Fischer's pre-arranged appearance. The comedian, who had appeared on the show more than a dozen times over the previous two years, has not been invited back since.
Fischer argues that asking an adult for coffee is neither illegal nor against Fox News policies. He claims to be a victim of what he calls a "woke mind virus culture" where any advance by a man is labeled as toxic masculinity.
The Texas-based comedian revealed he had been renting an apartment in New York specifically for his Fox News appearances. He is now considering legal action against the network.
The incident recalls Fox News' previous sexual harassment controversies, particularly the 2017 #MeToo reckoning that led to allegations against former chairman Roger Ailes and several male hosts, including Bill O'Reilly.
Fischer expressed his frustration with the situation in a statement to Daily Mail:
It is not illegal or against any rules at Fox to ask a grown adult for coffee. But in the woke mind virus world, any advance by a man is labeled as some kind of toxic masculinity. It is beyond tragic to see men hide away in fear. I, for one, will not allow it to happen to me.
Network representatives declined to comment on the situation, and the female staffer involved has not been publicly identified.
The controversy surrounding Tyler Fischer's interaction with a Fox News employee has effectively ended his regular appearances on Gutfeld!, a show that attracts approximately five million viewers nightly. The comedian waited two months before going public with his side of the story on social media platform X. Fischer continues his career as a touring comedian, having previously appeared on popular shows like the Joe Rogan Experience and Kill Tony. He is weighing his legal options while maintaining that the harassment allegations against him are false accusations stemming from what he characterizes as an innocent attempt to ask someone out for coffee.
