Sage Steele is ready for the next era of her career. The former SportsCenter co-anchor shared an update for fans on social media after her legal battle with ESPN officially ended.
“Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely,” explained the 50-year-old on Tuesday (Aug. 15) via X. “I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!”
The announcement comes after Steele filed a lawsuit against ESPN in April 2022 alleging the network and its corporate parent Disney violated her contract and civil rights.
According to Deadline, the mother of three claimed she was “sidelined” by ESPN in 2021 after making controversial statements about ESPN’s COVID-19 policy and former President Barack Obama’s identity.
The anchor called the ESPN guidelines, which included a vaccine mandate, “sick and scary.” On Obama, she remarked on former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler’s podcast Uncut With Jay Cutler, “I think that’s fascinating considering his Black dad is nowhere to be found, but his white mom and grandma raised him, but OK. You do you. I’m gonna do me.”
“I know my recent comments caused controversy for the company, and I apologize,” shared Steele in a statement at the time. “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.”
After the podcast comments, Steel took a one-week break from the show, credited at the time as a “mutual” decision after the anchor had tested positive for COVID-19. In her return, Steele allegedly lost coverage opportunities including the New York City Marathon.
She also claimed to have been offered co-hosting duties for The Masters only after sharing her concerns with the human resource department.
“Sage is standing up to corporate America to ensure employees don’t get their rights trampled on or their opinions silenced,” detailed her lawyer Bryan Freedman per NBC News.
In the lawsuit, the Indiana University alumna sought punitive and compensatory damages due to lost revenue and business opportunities. The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed at this time.