Between Seth MacFarlane, Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, many of the top male talents at 20th Century Fox’s television and film branches are criticizing the company over its Fox News arm. Specifically, they are unhappy with the famously conservative 24-hour cable news channel’s support of the Trump administration’s zero tolerance police regarding immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, which has resulted in thousands of children being put in detention centers. MacFarlance went so far as to donate millions to NPR on Tuesday, but Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan took it a step further.
As Deadline reports, the co-showrunner took to Twitter Tuesday afternoon to reveal he would no longer be working at 20th Century Fox Television. His current overall deal recently expired, and because of the Fox News outcry, Levitan is not going to renew it. “Fox Studio has been a wonderful home for most of my career,” he wrote. “So many amazing people there who share the concerns about Fox News but aren’t in the position to speak out.”
Fox Studio has been a wonderful home for most of my career – so many amazing people there who share the concerns about @FoxNews but aren’t in the position to speak out.
— Steve Levitan (@SteveLevitan) June 19, 2018
So while he “[looks] forward to seeing Modern Family through to the end,” Levitan concluded he will be “setting up shop elsewhere.”
I have no problem with fact-based conservatism (such as WSJ), but @FoxNew’s 23-hour-a-day support of the NRA, conspiracy theories and Trump’s lies gets harder to swallow every day as I drive onto that lot to make a show about inclusion.
— Steve Levitan (@SteveLevitan) June 19, 2018
I look forward to seeing #ModernFamily through to the end and then, sale or no sale, setting up shop elsewhere.
— Steve Levitan (@SteveLevitan) June 19, 2018
Levitan’s plans going forward after this remain unknown. However, with Modern Family, Just Shoot Me! and The Larry Sanders Show under his belt, he probably won’t be unemployed for long.
UPDATE — 3:30 pm ET: Per New York Times reporter John Koblin, Levitan released a statement via his agent, Jay Sures, that his decidedly less harsh than his previous tweets. “I have great respect and admiration for Dana Walden, Gary Newman, Peter Rice and everyone at 20th Century Fox Studios who have all treated me so well,” it read. “I will take some time to see where those people land, and at that point, make a decision about my future.”
Statement from "Modern Family" creator Steve Levitan, sent by his agent Jay Sures. Leaving the door open… pic.twitter.com/Sd7rUl4oKy
— John Koblin (@koblin) June 19, 2018
(Via Deadline)
