Fox News Sued Over 2022 Death of Ukrainian Journalist Sasha Kuvshynova
The parents of a Ukrainian journalist who was killed while covering the war for Fox News in 2022 sued the corporation on Thursday for “reckless and negligent conduct.”
The wrongful death suit was filed in New York State Supreme Court by Andriy Kuvshynov and Iryna Mamaysur two years after their 24-year-old daughter Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova was killed, along with cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, on March 14, 2022.
The lawsuit, obtained by TheWrap, also accuses Fox News foreign correspondent Benjamin Hall of a “false account” of the tragic incident in his book “Saved,” which was released Tuesday by Harper Collins.
The complaint alleges that Kuvshynova was led into an active war zone in the town of Horenka, despite warnings from local officials and a security consultant who advised them it was not safe.
“While we understand the grief and continue to mourn the loss of both Pierre Zakrzewski and Sasha Kuvshynova, we will respectfully defend against the inaccurate claims within this lawsuit,” Fox News said in a statement shared with TheWrap.
“The safety of our journalists has always been our number one priority and we are immensely grateful to the Fox News reporters who have covered the war in Ukraine and we remain committed to reporting from the region,” the statement continued.
Security consultant Shane Thomson, an advisor for the UK-based security agency SEPAR that was contracted at the time by Fox News, is a co-plaintiff.
According to the legal documents, Fox is promoting Hall’s book “for the purpose of deceiving Sasha’s parents and the public about Fox’s wrongful conduct and accountability for Sasha’s death.” Harper Collins is also named as a defendant.
The lawsuit was filed in New York Supreme Court on Thursday, but moved to federal court on Friday. Plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $75,000.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
The post Fox News Sued Over 2022 Death of Ukrainian Journalist Sasha Kuvshynova appeared first on TheWrap.
