If you’ve lived in Nashville for any length of time, you probably recognize Bree Smith. For nearly a decade, she was the steady voice on NewsChannel 5 (WTVF) telling us when to duck for cover during tornado sirens and when to pack an umbrella. Then, suddenly, she was just... gone. No big televised send-off. No formal "goodbye" montage during the 6 p.m. news.
The silence was weird. Honestly, it was unsettling for a city that relies so heavily on its local weather personalities.
But as the dust settled in early 2026, the real story started coming out. It wasn't just a simple contract dispute or a desire to "spend more time with family," though that’s what the initial PR-friendly Facebook posts suggested. What actually happened to Bree Smith involves a high-stakes federal lawsuit, allegations of a toxic workplace, and a harrowing battle against AI-generated deepfakes that almost cost her her career.
The Lawsuit That Shook Nashville Media
In late December 2025, Bree Smith filed a bombshell lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. This wasn't some vague grievance. It was a detailed, 40-page look at what she claims was years of gender discrimination and sexual harassment at NewsChannel 5.
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She didn't hold back.
The lawsuit specifically names her former colleague, meteorologist Henry Rothenberg. According to the court documents, the trouble started way back in 2017. Smith alleges that Rothenberg told her, point-blank, "You only got the job because of your tits."
Imagine walking into your professional workplace—a place where you've earned a degree in meteorology and years of experience—and being told your value boils down to your physical appearance. She reported it. But, per the lawsuit, the station's management didn't really do anything about it.
The allegations get even weirder.
- The "Dead Father" Incident: Smith claims Rothenberg once lied about his father dying to get out of work. Later, he allegedly sent a photo to colleagues showing himself drinking whiskey on the couch with that very same (and very much alive) father.
- The 16-Hour Shift: During the tragic March 2020 tornadoes, Smith says Rothenberg vanished for two days without explanation. She ended up pulling a 16-hour broadcast marathon to keep the city safe while her male colleague was MIA.
- The Hotel Room Broadcast: While on a family vacation in St. Louis in 2023, Smith says the station called her because Rothenberg was "lying on the floor crying" during a weather event. They reportedly made her broadcast emergency alerts from her cellphone in a hotel room.
NewsChannel 5 and its parent company, Scripps Media, have denied these claims. They say they investigated her concerns and that the lawsuit is "without merit." They even claimed they were trying to keep her on the team before she left. But for Smith, the environment had become "unbearable."
The Deepfake Nightmare
While the internal drama was simmering, an external threat was making Smith’s life a living hell. She became a primary target for "sextortion" scams using AI deepfakes.
Basically, anonymous trolls took her face from news broadcasts and grafted it onto sexually explicit images and videos. These weren't just hidden in dark corners of the web; they were sent to her followers and used to try and extort money from people who recognized her.
It was brutal.
She told CBS News that she "cried herself to sleep most nights" because she was terrified her children would see the images. She started a spreadsheet to track the fake accounts. In just one week, she found 24 new ones.
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The most frustrating part? She claims the TV station refused to help her fight the people creating these images. This was apparently the "last straw" that led her to walk away from her contract in January 2025.
Instead of hiding, she fought back.
She went to the Tennessee State Capitol. She testified before the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee. Her advocacy was a huge reason why Tennessee passed the "Preventing Deepfake Images Act," making it a felony to create these kinds of non-consensual images. She turned a personal trauma into a legal shield for every other person in the state.
Where is Bree Smith Now?
If you’ve been looking for her on your TV dial lately, you won't find her on Channel 5 anymore.
As of mid-January 2026, Bree Smith has officially joined WSMV4, Nashville’s NBC affiliate. She’s now part of the "First Alert Weather" team. Her first day back on air was January 12, 2026.
It’s a massive move. Usually, local news talent has a "non-compete" clause that keeps them off the air in the same market for a year. Since she left NewsChannel 5 in January 2025, that clock finally ran out, allowing her to jump to the rival station.
The transition seems to have been a huge hit with viewers. On social media, Nashville residents have been flooding her pages with "welcome back" messages. It's clear that while the station letters changed, the trust she built with the community didn't.
What This Means for You
The saga of Bree Smith is more than just "inside baseball" for TV nerds. It’s a case study in how the workplace is changing.
- AI is a real threat: The deepfake issue Smith faced is becoming more common. If it can happen to a public figure with a legal team, it can happen to anyone.
- Advocacy works: Smith didn't just quit; she changed the law. If you're facing harassment or digital abuse, look into the "Preventing Deepfake Images Act" if you're in Tennessee.
- Support local journalism: Weather coverage in middle Tennessee is literally a matter of life and death. Knowing where your favorite meteorologists are moving ensures you have a trusted voice when the sirens go off.
If you want to keep up with her latest forecasts or the progress of her legal case, the best move is to follow her official Facebook page or tune into WSMV4 during the evening news block. She’s back, and it looks like she’s not going anywhere this time.
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Next Steps for Staying Informed:
Check the status of the Preventing Deepfake Images Act in your own state to see what protections you have against AI-generated harassment. You can also monitor the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee filings to see how the Smith vs. Scripps Media lawsuit develops throughout 2026.