Tucker Carlson’s dismissal from Fox News was a result of the discovery of private messages containing crude and offensive content, leaving top executives and board members at the network in shock.

Fox News lawyers stumbled upon these messages while preparing for the defense against Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit. The New York Times reported that the messages were shared with senior executives only one day before the trial was set to begin.

Those who saw the messages described them as highly offensive and even more extreme than Carlson’s already contentious remarks on his prime-time show. The revelation sparked a crisis within Fox, which eventually led the network to settle the defamation lawsuit with Dominion for a whopping $787.5 million, mere days after the executives learned about the messages.

Although the content of the messages has been concealed in legal documents, a source with knowledge of the material said that one message was especially concerning, greatly alarming upper management.

The publication also noted that the messages were instrumental in the decision to fire Carlson, a long-time influential figure in Fox’s evening programming. The Dominion lawsuit threatened to be both humiliating and expensive for the network, as it would have required high-profile Fox News hosts, including Carlson, to testify, as well as Rupert Murdoch, the Chairman of Fox Corporation.

Further text messages from Carlson emerged prior to the trial, in which he ridiculed those spreading then-President Donald Trump’s baseless election fraud claims during the 2020 race. Despite his earlier mockery of these conspiracy theories, Carlson later became one of their most fervent supporters.

Fox News sent shockwaves through the media world on Monday when it announced that Carlson would depart from the network effective immediately. This news came as a surprise since Carlson had not hinted at leaving and had even said he would return to the show on Monday. It was subsequently reported that Carlson was informed of his dismissal just ten minutes before the public announcement.

Carlson briefly touched on his departure on Twitter, expressing gratitude to his supporters but avoiding direct mention of his termination or former employer.