Former 'SportsCenter' host talks to Jesse Watters about exit from ESPN after lawsuit
Sage Steele: I wasn't the only one who felt silenced at ESPN
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele joins ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ to detail her time at ESPN and her history of speaking out.
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele is speaking out about her exit from the company, telling Jesse Watters that she was not the only one at the company who felt "silenced" from expressing certain opinions.
The longtime former "SportsCenter" host joined "Jesse Watters Primetime" Tuesday to discuss what she experienced and when she decided it was time for her to move on.
"I wasn't the only one who felt silenced, who felt scared. I mean, some of us would literally whisper in the corner or even in the bathroom and talk about, hey, we can't say this too loud," said Steele, who was sidelined by ESPN in 2021 when she spoke out on a podcast about the company forcing her to receive the COVID vaccine.
Steele said opinions on one side were allowed to be discussed, but not from the other.
FORMER ESPN ANCHOR SAGE STEELE BLASTS COMPANY'S HYPOCRISY DAYS AFTER LEAVING
Sage Steele speaks onstage during The Players Tailgate Hosted By Bobby Flay and presented by Bullseye Event Group for Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Bullseye Event Group)
"Not just in the studio or in the green room or the makeup room, but on social media, on ESPN platforms. And I think that's all I ever wanted. And that's kind of what the suit was about, was consistency. What are the rules? Let's make them clear and make sure everybody follows them, not just the people that fit a certain narrative."
Steele said after this went on for years, she "had enough."
"The biggest blessing for me is that I've finally learned to be okay not being liked, even if they're for reasons that I think are stupid. People who won't even have a conversation or who have never even met me. That happens quite a lot. And I'm sure you're familiar with it too."
"It's insane and it's the opposite of what people preach with … equity and tolerance and inclusion and acceptance and all those words that everybody throws around, especially in corporate America, but when it's actually time to live it? That was my issue," said Steele.
As a mom of three, Steele said it was important to live by the advice she tells her children.
"I have preached to them about standing up tall and strong and being okay with being you no matter what. And so then what was their mom going to do? Just hide under the table again, because I was afraid? I've done that for years. So I just hope, yes, in corporate America, these bosses pay attention and are consistent now. But those of us who have a voice, and even if you don't have a big platform, we're hypocrites if we don't begin to call this out and try to change it."
Steele first spoke out earlier this month after her departure from the network was formalized. She provided the "life update" on X, formerly Twitter, saying her lawsuit against the company was settled, and she decided to leave so she could "exercise my First Amendment rights more freely."
"ESPN and Sage Steele have mutually agreed to part ways. We thank her for her many contributions over the years," the company said in a statement on Aug. 15.
Steele's lawsuit accused ESPN of selective enforcement of its policy that bars news employees from commenting on politics and social issues. Steele argued the company has no issue with on-air talent supporting left-wing causes.
The suit alleged ESPN "violated Connecticut law and Steele’s rights to free speech based upon a faulty understanding of her comments and a nonexistent, unenforced workplace policy that serves as nothing more than pretext" and claimed the network relied on "inaccurate third-party accounts of Steele’s comments" and "did not immediately review the actual comments or the context in which they were made."
She joined ESPN in 2007 after starting out at Comcast SportsNet. She became one of the mainstays on "SportsCenter" and made appearances on "NBA Countdown."
Fox News' Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.
