19 Shocking Downfalls in American TV News

Geraldo Rivera

Long before cable news perfected the art of turning journalism into spectacle, Geraldo Rivera was paving the way. His most famous fiasco came in 1986 with “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults,” a massively hyped live TV event that promised hidden treasure and delivered little more than rubble and humiliation. But the showmanship didn’t stop there. In 2001, he was mocked after claiming to be at the scene of a friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan when he was reportedly hundreds of miles away. Later, in 2003, while embedded with U.S. forces in Iraq, Rivera drew an upcoming military operation in the sand during a live broadcast, getting himself expelled from the country.

TJ Holmes & Amy Robach

Few TV-news scandals felt more perfectly engineered for the social-media age than this one. T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach were the polished co-anchors of ABC News’ “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” where their easy chemistry was supposed to read as effortless morning-TV charm. In late November 2022, the Daily Mail published photos of the two together, setting off a tabloid frenzy that quickly bled into ABC’s own newsroom. The pair were pulled from the air on December 5 as ABC News president Kim Godwin called the situation an “internal and external distraction.” After weeks of internal review, mediation, and relentless public scrutiny over workplace optics, both anchors officially exited ABC on January 27, 2023.

Mark Halperin

For a while there, Mark Halperin seemed to be everywhere: on election-night panels, on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” and in the upper tier of Washington media. In October 2017, multiple women accused Halperin of sexual harassment during his time as political director at ABC News in the early 2000s, with allegations ranging from unwanted advances to pressing his body against junior staffers. Halperin denied some of the more extreme claims, but he also issued a lengthy apology, admitting to behavior that was, in his own words, “aggressive and crude.” NBC first suspended him, before cutting ties altogether. Showtime and Penguin also dropped projects tied to him, turning what might have been a survivable scandal into a full professional wipeout.

Rita Cosby

A familiar cable-news presence with a hard-charging style, Cosby took a sharp turn into tabloid territory with her 2007 Anna Nicole Smith tell-all, “Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith’s Death.” The book made sensational claims about Howard K. Stern, Smith’s attorney and former companion, and it quickly sparked a major libel battle. Stern sued, arguing the book contained defamatory fabrications. Ultimately, Stern’s suit against Cosby didn’t go to a verdict. A federal judge in 2009 allowed major parts of Stern’s defamation case to proceed and sharply criticized Cosby’s conduct. But before trial, in November 2009, the case was settled out of court, and the terms have never been made public.

Jason Miller

Not every media scandal belongs to a classic anchor or household-name host. Sometimes, the stain lands on the pundit class hovering around the edges of television news, and Jason Miller fits squarely in that category. Known more as a Trump-world operative and talking head than as a traditional journalist, Miller became a familiar face on TV before his public image was dragged into something far uglier. In 2018, allegations tied to a paternity dispute accused him of secretly giving a pregnant woman an abortion pill in a smoothie. Miller denied the claim, but the allegation alone was explosive enough to cling to his name for years. He later sued over reports on the story and lost on appeal.

Chris Matthews

Chris Matthews’ whole appeal rested on the idea that he was a little too much. Loud, combative, and hopelessly in love with his own cable-news bluster, he turned “Hardball” into a nightly showcase for old-school political bombast. But by 2020, that persona was aging badly in public. Matthews had already drawn backlash for comparing Bernie Sanders’ Nevada win to the Nazi takeover of France and for awkwardly casting doubt on allegations against Mike Bloomberg. At that point, journalist Laura Bassett publicly accused him of making inappropriate comments to her before a 2016 appearance on his show. Within days, Matthews was gone, abruptly retiring live on air while apologizing for past comments to women.

Billy Bush

One hot mic was all it took to turn a glossy TV career into a cautionary tale. Billy Bush, nephew of former U.S. president George H. W. Bush, had spent years cultivating the image of a breezy, harmless entertainment-news personality. In 2016, he moved from “Access Hollywood” to NBC’s “Today” in what looked like a clear career upgrade. Then came the release of the infamous 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape in October 2016. On the tape, Bush was heard laughing along as then-presidential candidate Donald Trump made vulgar comments about women. NBC suspended him almost at once, and he was soon out at “Today.”

Roger Ailes

As the mastermind behind Fox News, Ailes wasn’t just a network executive but a kingmaker, helping build a media empire that reshaped conservative politics and television alike. For years, that made him one of the most powerful men in American news. In 2016, former Fox host Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him, and additional accusations soon followed from other women, including Megyn Kelly. Ailes denied wrongdoing, but the scandal was simply too large to contain, and he resigned as chairman and CEO of Fox News as the Murdochs moved to push him out. In 2019, the saga was adapted into director Jay Roach’s Oscar-winning film “Bombshell,” in which Ailes was played by John Lithgow.

Don Lemon

This Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist was a fixture on CNN from 2006 until 2023, appearing in various capacities before being awarded “Don Lemon Tonight,” his own show, in 2014. Following its cancellation in 2022, “CNN This Morning” would ultimately serve as his final role at the network before his unceremonious, painfully public firing in 2023. The cause was a series of on-air remarks made by Lemon that were perceived as misogynistic, as well as a reported history of similar behind-the-scenes behavior at CNN. A 2024 deal with Elon Musk’s X, which would see Lemon hosting a new show on the platform, was quickly scuttled following a heated, awkward interview with the billionaire. Far from fading away, Lemon found himself back in the national spotlight in 2026 after being arrested and federally charged over his livestreamed coverage of the Cities Church protest in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dan Rather

One of the most legendary and respected news anchors in the history of American television, Rather first rose to national prominence in 1961, after his reporting on the highly destructive Hurricane Carla reportedly saved as many as 350,000 lives. Two years later, in 1963, Rather covered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, earning him CBS’ coveted White House correspondent position in 1964. Rather, who then enjoyed decades of public trust and admiration, was suddenly thrust out of the spotlight in 2005, when he presented unverified documents live on air that challenged then-President Bush’s record of military service. The fallout saw Rather fired the following year, only returning to CBS in 2024 for an interview with Lee Cowan.

Brian Williams

Sometimes, a career-damaging scandal can unfold rapidly — other times, a seed sown years before can come back to bite you. Such was the case with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams, who’d started in 1993 as a correspondent and was later promoted to anchor in 2004. Williams was accused of misrepresenting a 2003 account of an Iraq War story, in which the anchor claimed to have been a passenger on a military helicopter that was attacked. In February 2015, Williams made an on-air apology in which he admitted to lying about his presence on the helicopter, for which he was suspended and later demoted to the position of breaking news anchor for MSNBC.

Megyn Kelly

This firebrand former Fox and NBC News host is no stranger to controversy and intense public scrutiny, often resulting from her unfiltered, unapologetic takes on hot topics. Such scandals have included a widely-criticized 2013 instance in which Kelly was adamant in her belief that both Santa Claus and Jesus Christ are white, and crucially for our video today, a deeply cringeworthy statement about blackface on “Megyn Kelly Today.” In October 2018, Kelly made remarks that appeared to condone the disgraced practice, saying “when I was a kid, that was okay as long as you were dressing up like a character.” Days later, “Megyn Kelly Today” was canceled, and NBC formally severed ties with her in January 2019.

Charlie Rose

There was a time when the name “Charlie Rose” commanded respect from American audiences, owing to his beloved 1991 PBS interview program which shared his name. Known as a forum for thoughtful, intellectual conversation and debate about hot-button issues, “Charlie Rose” often starred well-known public figures, including celebrities and politicians. Rose’s show featured interviews with every U.S. president from Jimmy Carter through Barack Obama; he also interviewed Donald Trump and Joe Biden before either man became president. Accused of 35 counts of grave misconduct starting in 2017, Rose was quickly removed from his position as co-anchor of “CBS This Morning,” and his self-titled talk show was immediately pulled from the air by PBS and Bloomberg Television.

Bill O’Reilly

Much like his fellow Fox News personality Megyn Kelly, O’Reilly was perhaps more famous for his controversial comments and public feuds than for his actual journalism and hosting. Claims of misconduct against the fiery commentator stretch back to as far as 2004, in which O’Reilly sued Andrea Mackris, a former producer on his show “The O’Reilly Factor,” for extortion after she had claimed that he had subjected her to a lewd phone call. Although Mackris and O’Reilly reached a settlement out-of-court, renewed claims of misconduct against O’Reilly cropped up in 2017, in addition to several lawsuits. Overwhelming public backlash led to Fox canceling “The O’Reilly Factor.” O’Reilly has since attempted a comeback with the “No Spin News” podcast.

Chris Cuomo

Brother to disgraced former New York governor Andrew, Chris Cuomo came under fire for his attempts to shield his brother from further fallout in the wake of Andrew’s December 2020 accusations of misconduct. This was in addition to the ex-governor’s perceived mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of New York. The scandal came to light in May 2021, when Cuomo was reported to have advised his brother on how to handle his situation — this included providing Andrew with information on his accusers, gleaned from Chris’ media connections. Although Cuomo has maintained that he never attempted to sway CNN’s coverage of his brother in any way, he was dismissed from the network in early December 2021.

Tucker Carlson

Carlson, the infamously outspoken host of Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” was abruptly dismissed from the network (and his show canceled) on April 24, 2023. The move to fire the wildly popular Carlson was met with bewilderment from both those in the world of television media and audiences — as well as from the former host himself. Carlson, known for his well-documented history of sharing personal views and statements that were widely thought of as controversial and inflammatory, was reportedly terminated by Rupert Murdoch himself. This is alleged to have stemmed from Carlson’s coverage of the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol, as well as private messages described as criticizing Fox News management while using offensive language.

Jeffrey Toobin

This author, and CNN contributor has himself — and the COVID-19 pandemic — to blame for the egregious gaffe that found him dismissed from the New Yorker in November 2020. In a baffling move, Toobin was revealed to have exposed himself during a Zoom call with fellow New Yorker staffers, and having engaged in… well… let’s call it an act of “self-love.” The CNN correspondent and legal analyst immediately issued an effusive apology, stating that “I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera. I apologize to my wife, family, friends and co-workers.” CNN forgave Toobin, and he returned to the network in June 2021, characterizing the incident as being “deeply moronic and indefensible.”

Matt Lauer

Woof. Where do we even start with this one? Lauer was, at one point, the beloved co-host of NBC’s “Today,” emerging as a trusted figure in news from the time of his 1997 promotion to the show. Lauer’s popularity as a television host was reflected in his frequent cameos as himself in movies and television shows, seen as lending them an air of credibility. That came to a screeching halt in 2017, when Lauer became one of the most prominent public figures exposed by the #MeToo movement. In an example of the quote-unquote “Weinstein effect,” Lauer’s genteel onscreen personality was obliterated by disturbing allegations from female “Today” staffers, which included accusations of full-blown assault on Lauer’s part.

Which entry on our list shocked you the most? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!