Alex Jones Says Rupert Murdoch's Ex-Fiancée Reason for Tucker Carlson's Exit

InfoWars host Alex Jones has suggested Rupert Murdoch's ex-fiancée Ann Lesley Smith is part of the reason Tucker Carlson departed Fox News.

Jones spoke with podcast host Steve Crowder on May 3 and reflected on the ongoing rumors and theories about Carlson's abrupt exit from the network.

On April 24, Fox News said the network and Carlson had parted ways and that his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, will see a rotating cast of personalities on an interim show titled Fox News Tonight.

Jones cited an article that appeared in Vanity Fair on April 25, 2023, which alleged that Smith had told people Carlson was "a messenger from God."

"I was told by 'sources very close to Tucker,' I'll leave it at this, that the Vanity Fair article is the closest to reality," Jones told Crowder, adding that the pair's Christian faith had begun to frustrate Murdoch as they discussed their religion during a dinner at Murdoch's home in Bel-Air, California.

The article referencing the dinner also mentioned Murdoch's alleged disapproval of Carlson and Smith's "spiritual talk."

Jones continued: "About a month and a half ago—about five weeks ago—he (Carlson) was in Bel-Air, at the mansion/estate of Rupert Murdoch and his fiancée, who is a big fan of Tucker and has become religious and Christian because of Tucker.

"She thinks he is like a prophet. Tucker has become very Christian, before he was kind of agnostic, raised an Episcopalian—wasn't sure God was real, but liked Christians and thought they were good for society. But he really still thought it was kind of silly.

"Then, [Carlson] has had experiences, seen things, grown, and at some point, he will talk about the details of it... He really knows it is a fight between good versus evil, he was saying that."

Jones said: "Rupert Murdoch is an atheist and got really freaked out, wouldn't talk, and left the dinner table.

"He was 'friends' with Tucker before that and then the next day broke up with his [fiancée]. He said, 'I'm done with you, get out of here.' Whatever went on at that dinner, and I don't know all the details, I was just told that [the] Vanity Fair [article] is just the tip of the iceberg, that is what it is."

The magazine wrote that Murdoch and Smith called off their wedding a few days after the alleged dinner.

Speaking to Newsweek, a Fox News spokesperson denied Alex Jones' claims.

On his own show last week, however, Jones suggested that Carlson left Fox News after giving the network an ultimatum on the freedoms he is allowed on his show.

Jones said: "I know [Carlson] came very close to quitting about a month ago or giving [Fox News] an ultimatum. Because his contract says he can interview anyone he wants. He took a massive pay cut, we are talking a fraction of what they were offering, to have freedom on his show.

"They have not been giving him that on places like having Alex Jones on or going on Alex Jones' show.

"I encouraged him to just continue to do whatever good he could do there but I think when it comes out we are going to learn unless he had to sign a non-disclosure [agreement], that he said, 'no I'm going to do whatever interview I want to do,' and they said no."

Updated 05/04/2023, 07:52 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional comment from a Fox News spokesperson.