Heather Childers, who had been an early morning host on Fox since 2012, was benched after the incident in late March. She was not put back on the air again — despite her public campaign on Twitter and her messages to President Trump.
This week, after sources said that Childers was no longer affiliated with the network, a Fox spokeswoman confirmed her exit.
“Fox News and Heather Childers have parted ways. We wish her all the best,” the spokeswoman told CNN Business.
The unusual circumstances of her exit are a window into the television news industry’s adjustments due to the pandemic.
Shows like “Fox & Friends” frequently sided with President Trump’s proclamations that the virus was under control and that it would somehow disappear.
Childers led the 4 a.m. hour of “Fox & Friends First,” the network’s first live program of the day. On March 18, she was noticeably sick both on and off camera, which caused concern among the staffers who were still coming into the building, sources said.
Childers visited a doctor after the show and said on Twitter that she was fine. She came back to work and hosted her hour on March 19.
But Fox executives were angry that she came to work while visibly ill, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. That’s why she was sidelined beginning on March 20.
By April 6, she tweeted that she had tested negative twice, and was in the dark about when she might be back on TV. She shared numerous supportive messages from fans, and sometimes she tweeted directly to Trump, pleading her case.
“I’d love to go back to work @realDonaldTrump,” she tweeted April 9, “but the antibody tests only show positive if you have had the virus. I’ve had TWO negative COVID19 tests results & no symptoms.” She tweeted: “Can I go back to work?”
Childers did not respond to a request for comment from CNN Business.
