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News Corp's New Interim General Counsel Got to Pie Thrower First

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on July 27, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

It's clear that Wendi Deng Murdoch has catapulted into internet stardom as a result of slapping the pie-tossing prankster who deigned to attack her husband Rupert last week.

But there is an unsung hero in this story of pie vigilantism and tabloid phone hacking, and her name is Janet Nova.

She's News Corp.'s interim general counsel.

And she was the first to protect her boss.

If you've yet to see the Rupert Murdoch pie video, it depicts the media mogul testifying before British Parliament early last week after being hauled in to explain the recent phone hacking scandal plaguing his News of the World tabloid.

Sitting behind Murdoch are his wife, Wendi Deng Murdoch, and the lady in grey (LIG).

As a man rushes towards Murdoch wielding a pie, the LIG jumps to his defense, putting herself and her iPad between the assailant and his intended target.

Deng then stands up, reaching over LIG's head, issuing what is now known as the slap seen across the world.

As it turns out, LIG is actually one Janet Nova.

A graduate of Columbia Law School, she has been with News Corp. since 1997, managing its corporate governance department.

Last month, after the company's general counsel stepped down, the Times reports that she was appointed interim general counsel, stepping up to prepare Rupert Murdoch for parliamentary questions.

And to protect him from pie-throwers.

Would you risk your iPad and grey suit to protect the head of your company? Janet Nova did, but it's unclear where it's got her.

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