ESPN’s Sage Steele Temporarily Pulled off Air for Controversial Comments, Positive Covid Test

ESPN’s Sage Steele will be taking a break from her usual duties after she made some controversial comments.

The Sports Center anchor appeared on a third-party podcast where she made comments about Barack Obama’s racial background, ESPN’s coronavirus policy, and even suggested that certain female journalists face harassment because of their clothing choices.

According to reports, ESPN Management in Bristol, Conn. was not too happy about her latest comments on the “Uncut With Jay Cutler” podcast. “At ESPN, we embrace different points of view — dialogue and discussion make this place great. That said, we expect that those points of view be expressed respectfully, in a manner consistent with our values, and in line with our internal policies,” the sports-media outlet stated.  “We are having direct conversations with Sage, and those conversations will remain private.”

During the podcast, Steel expressed how “sick” Disney’s requirements were that most employees get vaccinated while noting that she “did not” want the shot, but she did. She also spoke about how surprised she was when she found out that Obama identified as a black man.

Sources close to the situation say that Steele is also off the air since recently testing positive for the coronavirus. The anchor will miss ESPN’s espnW summit, which focuses on women in sports, and is anticipated to resume her full duties next week.

“I know my recent comments created controversy for the company, and I apologize. We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us, and it’s more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully,” Steele said in a statement provided by ESPN.