A video showing former Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher in a heated confrontation with a colleague has surfaced online, drawing widespread attention amid her ongoing legal battle with Fox.
The footage, first highlighted by FTVLive and Deadline Detroit, was recorded while Asher was filming a public service announcement at WJBK-TV Fox 2 Detroit. The video appears to capture a disagreement over scripts and the process of getting the recording ready. She was taken off the air in November last year.
Asher can be heard expressing frustration about having to wait for scripts to be reviewed before she could proceed. The exchange then escalates as she appears to accuse her colleague of leaving the conversation angrily before turning to what she described as a pattern of complaints about her conduct.
“I don’t think you are. You’re walking out really angry,” Asher says before calling her colleague a “B***ch.” She then adds, “Can I please finish what I’m going to say?” before saying, “What the f**k. Grow up.”
“I’m so done with her antics, telling on me every five seconds. I’m done,” she says in the video.
The clip has emerged amid a legal dispute between Asher and Fox Television Stations and New World Communications of Detroit. Asher is suing the companies, alleging gender discrimination and retaliation under federal and Michigan civil-rights laws. She claims male employees accused of misconduct were treated more leniently and that she faced retaliation after raising concerns about discrimination.
Fox has denied those allegations, arguing that Asher was removed because of her behaviour towards colleagues and not because of her gender or complaints about discrimination.
In its August 14 response to the lawsuit, Fox said multiple employees had complained about Asher in the week before she was placed on paid leave on November 5. According to the station, those complaints involved allegations that she shouted at staff over guest-interview assignments, repeatedly used profanities, and behaved in a confrontational and disrespectful manner.
Fox also alleged that Asher confronted an employee whom she believed had reported her to management.
The station cited other disagreements involving interview assignments and claimed Asher sometimes skipped editorial meetings where assignments were discussed, despite being encouraged to attend.
Although the confrontation took place last year, the video has recently gained fresh attention on social media, with millions of views and users debating what happened inside the newsroom.
“Lawsuit dropped and suddenly the old tape finds its way out,” one user wrote.
“What’s the big deal here? Seems like a relatively normal heated work moment between people,” another commented.
A third person wrote, “Having worked in media, the likelihood is high that the off-camera person was just doing their job. The problem child is the anchor. A lot of them are primadonnas and can do no wrong.”
