Former ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Says Network Asked Her Not To Tweet About Trans Swimmer

Steele tweeted her opposition to biological males like Thomas--who transitioned from male to female--competing against biological females.

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele said the network told her to stop publicly commenting on transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’s participation in women’s sports.

Steele and ESPN host Sam Ponder had tweeted their opposition to biological males like Thomas — who transitioned from male to female — competing against biological females. In a recent podcast interview, Steele said ESPN told her to stop tweeting on X and commenting on this issue because she was offending people at the company, the New York Post reported.

“I was asked to stop tweeting about it. I was asked to stop doing anything, saying anything about it on social media because I was offending others at the company,” she said on OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, the New York Post reports. After receiving the request, Steele still sent out another tweet on the topic that night.

Steele expressed that she felt ESPN was trying to silence her and Ponder on this issue while letting others speak freely on topics unrelated to sports. “I literally said, this is the hill I will die on 100% because it’s facts. This is not even my opinion…this is science; this is biology…Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me to stop supporting women. Go ahead, tell me,” Steele said.

The former ESPN anchor stood firm by what she said and continued tweeting on social media that she would “die on this hill” because, to her, it comes down to scientific facts and biology in her view.

An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on Steele’s claims. Earlier this year, Steele and ESPN settled a lawsuit after she alleged the company infringed on her free speech rights for criticizing Disney’s vaccine mandates.

Thomas, who competed for the University of Pennsylvania, transitioned from male to female, set records, and won a 2022 national championship in the 500-yard freestyle event.