Fox News has temporarily removed a docuseries about Hunter Biden from its streaming service after his lawyers threatened legal action, claiming the program used private images without consent. The network stated that it is reviewing the concerns raised by Biden’s legal team and has taken down the docuseries as a precautionary measure.
In a letter sent to Fox News, Biden’s attorneys alleged that the network had unlawfully published “hacked” images and demanded their removal from all platforms. However, Fox News pushed back, arguing that its coverage of Hunter Biden was protected by the First Amendment and constituted fair and accurate reporting on a public figure.
The network pointed out that Biden has been the subject of investigations by the Department of Justice and Congress, has been indicted by two US Attorney’s Offices, and has publicly admitted to wrongdoing.
Fox News claimed that its coverage of these events, including the indictment of an FBI informant who made claims about Biden, was consistent with its journalistic obligations.
Biden’s lawyers countered that the docuseries was produced solely for entertainment purposes, lacked news value, and used explicit images to portray him in a negative light.
The removal of the docuseries comes in the middle of ongoing attacks on Biden by Republican lawmakers and conservative media pundits, who have criticized his foreign business dealings, history of drug use, and tax issues.