ESPN anchor Sage Steele has reportedly refused a lawsuit settlement worth over $500,000 from the company. This lawsuit goes back to a 2021 incident in which she criticized ESPN’s vaccine mandate as “sick” and “scary.” She says she was punished and/or “suspended” as a result of her statements on Jay Cutler’s podcast about the vaccine and also about Barack Obama’s biracial status. The network denies the claim that she was suspended, although she was off the air for a brief period of time, denoting that she may have still been paid during her “forced” hiatus.
ESPN has reportedly offered Sage Steele around $500,000 as a settlement that Steele refers to as “hush money.” She has refused this payment and says that this case is about free speech, a thing that ESPN’s parent company takes very seriously. Steele cited Disney’s case against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the whole “don’t say gay” drama where Disney cites its own freedom of speech as a defense.
SOURCES:
Sage Steele Rejects ESPN Settlement Money, Mocks Disney’s ‘Double Standard’ With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – OutKick
OutKick’s Charly Arnolt Applauds Sage Steele For Standing Up For Her Rights In Dispute With ESPN – OutKick
Sage Steele Turns Down $500K Settlement From ESPN
Sage Steele’s Lawsuit Against ESPN, Disney Is Worth More Than Mone
ESPN Offers Sage Steele $501K to Settle Lawsuit
Clay Travis: ESPN’s suspension of Sage Steele ‘absolute madness’ | Fox News
Sage Steele airs frustration with ESPN’s ‘sick’ COVID vaccine mandate | New York Post – YouTube
Sage Steele apologizes for saying ESPN vaccine mandate was ‘scary’
ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Sues Network Alleging Free-Speech Violation – YouTube
Sage Steele airs frustration with ESPN’s ‘sick’ COVID vaccine mandate | New York Post – YouTube
