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ESPN sports presenter Sage Steele’s controversial week off is slated to end “within the next week,” a source familiar with the situation told Page Six on Thursday.
“A day has not yet been fixed. She will be back on air next week, ”the source said.
Reports had said she would be off the air for at least a week.
Steele, who is mixed race, was taken off the airwaves this week after making controversial comments about identifying former President Barack Obama as black, criticizing the dress of female journalists and describing the COVID-vaccine mandate. 19 of the company as “sick”. when she appeared on the “Uncut with Jay Cutler” podcast last week.
“There were several things that were concerning, and it was a collective decision with Sage for her not to come back this week. It was the safe thing to do [to not have her on-air this week]”the first source said.
On the podcast, Steele revealed that she was vaccinated due to ESPN’s tenure and because she didn’t want to keep her job.
“I work for a company that requires it, and I had until September 30 to do it or I’m going,” she said, adding, “I respect everyone’s decision. really do, but the mandate is sick, and that scares me in many ways. “
Still, she added: “I’m not surprised he got to his point, especially with [parent company] Disney, I mean a global business like that.
An industry insider told us that the vaccine commentary did not go well with the studio brass.
“Disney has no patience with anti-vax rhetoric,” they said.
But the first source insisted that his exclusion from the air this week was “not specifically directed at one specific thing” and that “several things were of concern”.
Steele issued a statement apologizing for his comments creating “a controversy for the company … 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. She said.
Coincidentally, after Steele’s anti-vax mandate speech made the news, it was made public that she had recently tested positive for COVID-19. The sequence of the diagnosis versus the podcast controversy is unclear.
A representative from ESPN and Steele did not comment.
The network previously said in a statement, “At ESPN we take different points of view – dialogue and discussion make this place great. That said, we expect these views to be expressed with respect, in a manner consistent with our values and in accordance with our internal policies. “
The Post previously reported that ESPN was having “direct” and “private” conversations with Steele after his comments.
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