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Veteran ESPN personality Sage Steele, a staple of the network’s daytime lineup, doesn’t appear on the company’s lineup this week.
ESPN declined to comment on why it took a step back when contacted by Deadline. In a recent podcast interview with former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, Steele criticized Disney’s Covid vaccine tenure and questioned Barack Obama’s racial identity.
Steele also recently tested positive for Covid, which was the main reason she was temporarily taken off the air, according to a person familiar with the situation. She is expected to return to the air next week. The decision for her to be away for a week would have been mutual.
In last week’s podcast, Steele described the company’s vaccine mandate as “sick and scary.” The Walt Disney Co. was among the first major employers to decide to require workers to be vaccinated, a move that has since been widely imitated in U.S. businesses.
In addition to Covid, Steele on the podcast also questioned whether Obama identifies as Black, given the circumstances of his upbringing. “Kudos to the president, that’s his thing,” she said. “I think it’s fascinating considering his black dad can’t be found, but his white mom and grandmother raised him, but okay. You do you. I will do myself.
While she appeared in many places during her 15 years at ESPN, Steele recently anchored the midday edition of Sports center.
“At ESPN, we take different points of view – dialogue and discussion makes this place great,” the company said in a statement provided to Deadline. “That said, we expect these different points of view to be expressed with respect, in a manner consistent with our values and in accordance with our internal policies. We have direct conversations with Sage and these conversations will be kept private. “
Steele also acknowledged his role in the situation. “I know my recent comments have sparked controversy for the company, and I apologize for that,” she said in a statement relayed by ESPN. “We are in the midst of an extremely difficult time that affects us all, and it is more important than ever that we communicate in a constructive and thoughtful manner. “
Former ESPN staff Keith Olbermann and Jemele Hill were among those critical of Steele’s remarks on the podcast on Twitter. Hill called this “clowning behavior” and Olbermann said “Steele’s self-awareness continues to be zero. That’s a shame.”
In addition to her on-air duties, Steele will also be stepping away from hosting an upcoming summit focused on women in sport, an insider told Deadline.
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