Fox News is facing growing backlash after several prominent actors, including Kristen Bell and Brian Cox, said they had no knowledge that their past voice performances would be used in the network’s forthcoming faith-based podcast, The Life of Jesus. The 52-episode series is set to launch on November 30 as part of Fox’s new religious content initiative, but questions around consent and transparency have overshadowed its debut.
The podcast repurposes recordings originally created for the Truth & Life Dramatized Audio Bible, an audio project released more than a decade ago. Multiple actors featured in the series told media outlets they were blindsided to learn that their voices would now feature in a Fox News-branded production. Kristen Bell, who voiced Mary Magdalene in the 2010 project, said she had “no knowledge” that her performance would be used again. Brian Cox, whose voice appears as God, also stated he was unaware of the reuse.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Bell, Malcolm McDowell, and other cast members only learned of their involvement when the podcast was publicly announced. According to the actors and their representatives, none were asked to approve the new usage or renegotiate their contracts for this new distribution.
The project includes more than 100 performers, with Fox News promoting a star-studded cast including Bell, Cox, McDowell, and John Rhys-Davies. The episodes, which dramatise New Testament stories, will be introduced by Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt. But the actors say Fox’s promotion suggests their active participation, despite their lack of awareness.
Fox News maintains that its use of the recordings is fully licensed. The network says it acquired the rights through an agreement with the original producers and insists the licensing process was legitimate and properly executed. However, that claim has done little to quiet criticism from performers who say they were ethically, if not contractually, sidelined.
The situation escalated further when The Daily Beast reported accusations that at least one producer involved in the new Fox project discouraged an actor from disclosing the age of the recordings. According to the report, the producer allegedly suggested it would be better if listeners believed the audio was created recently, a claim that has fuelled concerns about transparency.
Advocates for performers’ rights say the controversy highlights a growing tension in the entertainment industry: older recordings are increasingly being repurposed for new platforms, often without fresh negotiation. While this may be legally permissible under some contracts, actors argue that the ethical expectations around consent and communication have changed—especially when their voices are linked to politically charged outlets.
Some performers have also raised concerns about being associated with Fox News in particular. Several have publicly distanced themselves from the network in the past and said they would not have agreed to take part had they been asked.
Despite the outcry, Fox News intends to proceed with the November 30 launch. As the debate continues, the dispute may prompt broader industry conversations about how legacy recordings are reused—and whether legal rights alone are enough to justify such decisions.
