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Sage Steele has become the talk of the town for sports fans after she took to social media on Monday to announce her departure from ESPN. The 50-year-old revealed that she will be leaving the company after her legal issues with the network were settled.
Steele's issues with ESPN began a month after she appeared on the Uncut with Jay Cutler podcast in September 2021. She made some controversial comments and questioned why former President Barack Obama identifies as Black despite being raised by a white mother. She said:
"I'm like, 'Well, congratulations to the President (Obama).' That's his thing. I think that's fascinating considering his Black dad was nowhere to be found, but his White mom and grandma raised him, but hey, you do you. I'm going to do me."
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Steele also called ESPN's COVID vaccine mandates "sick" and "scary" before making comments about female sports reporters and sexual harassment. She said:
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"I've had talks with young women, they're like, 'Oh, would you look at my tape?' and I've said listen, I would love to. But the way you present yourself is not something I want to be associated with. So when you dress like that, I'm not saying you deserve the gross comments, but you know what you're doing when you're putting that outfit on, too."
On October 5, 2021, Steele was suspended with pay by ESPN for the comments she made on former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler's podcast. However, in April 2022, she sued her employer for violating her free speech rights.
On August 15, 2023, Steele announced that she came to a settlement with ESPN but would no longer continue working with the network.
Sage Steele's net worth and career earnings
According to reports, Sage Steele is worth an estimated $1.5 million as of 2023. Most of her wealth has come from her 16 years of working as a sportscaster with ESPN.
Steele rose to fame as an anchor on SportsCenter as well as NBA Countdown from 2013 to 2017. She also hosted major events like the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship and the College Football Playoffs.
Steele reportedly made around $3 million annually from ESPN during the back end of her career with the broadcast company.
