Social media was ablaze with clips of the explosion, and within minutes, #StarVsElon was trending. While some viewers applauded Jones’ audacity, others, including Musk’s horde of admirers,
Denounced her comments as unprofessional and unfounded. However, few anticipated the immediate and serious consequences that ensued. A Fine of $20 Million—But Why?
In an unusual action that left industry insiders frantically searching for explanations, claims surfaced less than two hours after the broadcast that Jones had been struck with a $20 million penalty.
The network said in a statement that the penalties resulted from a violation of a little-known contract provision that forbade “defamatory statements against high-profile public figures” to be broadcast.
According to legal experts, the phrase, which is hidden in Jones’ multi-year contract, could have been included to shield the network from expensive litigation or negative publicity from advertisers.
