The Megyn Kelly Show - Sage Steele Speaks Out For First Time About Her ESPN Exit, Being Stabbed in the Back, and Fighting For What's Right

00:00:00.420 Welcome to The Megyn Kelly Show, your home for open, honest, and provocative conversations.

00:00:12.220 Hey everyone, I'm Megyn Kelly. Welcome to The Megyn Kelly Show.

00:00:15.820 Today we have an exclusive interview with now former ESPN host, Sage Steele,

00:00:22.560 and I am so excited for this conversation.

00:00:25.140 Sage is finally able to speak out after settling her lawsuit against ESPN and Disney,

00:00:30.480 who Sage alleged retaliated against her after she mildly criticized the Disney vaccine mandate

00:00:38.080 and shared her opinion on what it's like to be biracial in America.

00:00:43.300 ESPN, a company that allows its anchors all the time to engage in political speech,

00:00:49.080 supportive of leftist causes, decided to single out this one host, condemning her comments,

00:00:57.340 forcing her to apologize, and then punishing her anyway by taking away her on-air assignments.

00:01:04.120 Well, she wasn't going to take it sitting down.

00:01:06.840 She sued.

00:01:08.020 The case was settled this week, and Sage Steele, now a free agent, joins me today.

00:01:14.580 Sage, thank you so much for being here.

00:01:16.940 How are you?

00:01:18.840 Hi, Megyn.

00:01:19.780 I am so honored to be here with you, of all people.

00:01:23.300 So thank you for having me.

00:01:24.560 How am I?

00:01:25.180 That's a great question.

00:01:26.240 It depends on, like, the day, the minute, the second.

00:01:29.300 I've kind of been all over the place.

00:01:31.720 But I know I'm going to be good.

00:01:33.460 I just know I'm going to be okay.

00:01:35.720 Yes.

00:01:36.120 And I think it takes a while.

00:01:37.360 You know, after a separation from a company like that you've been with forever,

00:01:40.420 it takes a while for it to settle in and you to realize, like, I'm good.

00:01:43.320 I'm okay.

00:01:43.920 I'm going to be even better.

00:01:45.320 Yes.

00:01:46.700 And that's the other reason why I have so admired you, because you've been there.

00:01:51.440 You've been through it all.

00:01:52.500 Good, bad, ugly ups and downs.

00:01:54.100 And this is the first time I've ever been, like, you know, separated from a company and

00:01:59.420 in this way, obviously.

00:02:01.760 And I was always such a goody two-shoes and let's not ruffle any feathers.

00:02:05.720 And apparently that's changed.

00:02:06.960 But I really, I don't know.

00:02:10.340 I just feel overwhelmed with every single emotion.

00:02:16.860 And what I'm trying to do is be okay with that emotion and not try to fix it and run

00:02:21.040 away from it, which I tend to do.

00:02:22.960 So I'm all in here.

00:02:24.380 I just, even when you know what's coming, because I did.

00:02:27.380 Obviously, once you file a lawsuit, you know it's going to end probably sooner than you

00:02:32.640 were originally planning when my contract was up.

00:02:35.500 But even when you're prepared, it's still like, oh, it's over.

00:02:40.020 Sixteen and a half years.

00:02:41.700 It's over.

00:02:42.400 Yeah, right.

00:02:43.600 And then you worry, what's over?

00:02:45.780 My relationship with ESPN or my career?

00:02:49.200 Yeah, right.

00:02:51.440 Although I've known deep down that even though I didn't know what was going to come next,

00:02:56.220 I still don't know what's going to come next.

00:02:57.560 I have no idea.

00:02:58.240 You said free agent.

00:02:59.220 By the way, good sports terminology there.

00:03:01.400 Because I'm really impressed you're getting there.

00:03:06.580 Yeah, I don't have any idea what's next.

00:03:09.140 I have some ideas of what I might want, but I'm not there because I've needed to focus

00:03:13.740 on my job up until the very last day.

00:03:18.140 And I loved focusing on my job till the very last day.

00:03:21.160 That's the weird part is letting go of that passion for what you do, because I loved my

00:03:26.000 job on SportsCenter every single day.

00:03:27.580 But I know that there will be something.

00:03:30.020 I've worked too hard for 28 years now to finish like this.

00:03:35.940 There's something coming.

00:03:37.240 We'll figure it out, you know?

00:03:39.140 Yeah, no, the career's not over.

00:03:40.840 But the finishing at ESPN, this is a good finish.

00:03:44.280 I feel like, especially now, hello, you did not tell me about the NFL films thing on your

00:03:50.680 family and your dad.

00:03:52.340 I only watched that in preparation for today.

00:03:56.100 This is the perfect finish for Sage Steele's time at ESPN.

00:04:00.680 You're going out Khaleesi style in a blaze of glory.

00:04:03.960 I mean, now I know you a little personally prior to this, but I did not know your family

00:04:09.900 backstory.

00:04:10.920 It's all coming together for me.

00:04:12.380 So before we get to the controversy and all the loss of the big, let's just do some background

00:04:16.700 because it's amazing the family you come from.

00:04:19.520 My God.

00:04:20.940 All right.

00:04:21.420 So you grew up a military, Brett, as they say.

00:04:24.660 And just give us a little bit of detail on your family.

00:04:27.920 Yeah, this is when I smile the most because I have the best family, Megan.

00:04:33.500 I am beyond blessed.

00:04:35.020 And I, yeah, I grew up as a really proud army brat.

00:04:40.360 And by the time I was 11 years old, I'd lived in four different countries.

00:04:43.680 And I used to have to, my parents would quiz, okay, where did we begin?

00:04:47.940 Let's go through the order of the countries and the states that we lived in because it

00:04:51.180 was hard to keep track of, oh, hi, there we are.

00:04:52.880 I'm the oldest of three and that's in Belgium.

00:04:57.260 We lived there from 1981 to 84.

00:05:00.520 And how about that?

00:05:01.240 We would just go to random castles for our Christmas pictures.

00:05:04.460 You know, I mean, Megan, I was in my Girl Scout troop.

00:05:08.220 We would go to Paris for the day.

00:05:10.420 Recently I was in, for the day.

00:05:12.120 And I would complain.

00:05:12.740 I'd be like, do we have to go to Paris again?

00:05:13.940 This is so annoying.

00:05:14.860 All the American family who would come over there.

00:05:16.560 Well, I just want to go to fricking Paris.

00:05:17.960 Now I'm like, hi, can I go to Paris and shop?

00:05:20.320 I haven't been since.

00:05:21.580 We lived in Greece.

00:05:22.880 From 1979 to 81, I was just back there about a week and a half ago.

00:05:27.440 Hadn't been back in 42 years.

00:05:29.420 My parents hadn't been back.

00:05:31.240 And my dad had some health issues.

00:05:33.220 And I was, I've been working for three and a half years to get back to Greece, to go to

00:05:38.460 our little apartment in Glaphata outside of Athens and go back to these amazing places

00:05:43.800 that I didn't understand were amazing because it was just my life.

00:05:47.260 And now I'm like, look where I got to live and look at the diversity and the different

00:05:51.300 cultures and people.

00:05:52.440 What an awesome upbringing.

00:05:54.180 I just, I never had a home.

00:05:56.440 And so I've never had a place to take my kids home to, to say, look, that's where I, that's

00:06:00.440 where I went to elementary school.

00:06:01.620 That's where I played softball.

00:06:03.860 I've never been able to do that because it's been all over the world.

00:06:07.100 So the key through that is that with all the moving and all the change, and there's a lot

00:06:12.300 of adversity that comes with that, not only did I toughen up before I knew I was getting

00:06:17.600 tough and preparing me probably for the crazy industry that you and I are in, but it just

00:06:22.180 made our family unit like this.

00:06:24.840 And that's the only reason why I know that I'm standing right now after the last couple

00:06:29.160 of years is because of my family.

00:06:31.520 And I think the military quite often can do that, bring you together because of so much

00:06:36.680 change.

00:06:37.280 You don't have consistent friendships or neighbors or anything.

00:06:40.960 It's just you and the Steele family.

00:06:43.560 We're strong.

00:06:45.600 You know, reading up on you, it seems to me growing up in a military family is similar

00:06:50.720 to growing up in a, in a family of faith.

00:06:53.060 And oftentimes the two, you know, coalesce and are both present.

00:06:56.980 But you know, what, what does being a faithful person mean?

00:07:00.460 It means you pass on a set of values to your children, a set of ethics, shared values that

00:07:05.080 are reinforced every Sunday, or, you know, when you read the Bible, whatever it is, it's

00:07:09.580 it's a moral code that is passed on from parent to child with the help of a community.

00:07:14.020 And it seems to me, at least in your case, being in the military, a military family was

00:07:19.300 very similar.

00:07:20.640 And in particular, you and your brothers in the NFL film on your dad talking about the

00:07:26.100 cadet prayer, which I confess I had never heard, um, not from a military family, but I love

00:07:33.420 it.

00:07:33.680 And I want to put it on my wall and start teaching it to my kids right now.

00:07:36.940 Could you, could you talk about the cadet prayer?

00:07:39.400 Do you want me to recite it?

00:07:40.980 Could you do?

00:07:41.760 Do you, I mean, I think you, you know it, but yes.

00:07:44.420 Oh, I was forced.

00:07:45.960 Let me tell you between the cadet prayer and Saturday morning inspections at our house growing

00:07:51.720 up to check our bedrooms and my dad would pull out and open the underwear drawer.

00:07:56.160 Like there were rules, Megan.

00:07:57.500 And for every infraction, we do 10 pushups.

00:08:00.340 So I was like Jack from a young age because I always had all these infractions and I didn't

00:08:04.540 have my room perfectly done.

00:08:06.060 Um, which I love and I had to do it to my kids and it didn't work as well as when my

00:08:10.080 Colonel dad came knocking on my door.

00:08:11.720 I don't have that kind of power.

00:08:12.980 Apparently, um, this prayer has saved me.

00:08:17.340 It has driven me.

00:08:18.680 It has, um, uplifted me.

00:08:20.740 It has helped me make some of the toughest decisions in my life, including recently with

00:08:24.280 work.

00:08:25.480 And I hope I get it right.

00:08:26.960 Cause I know my dad's watching.

00:08:28.180 My parents watch it every day.

00:08:29.480 Um, help me to choose the harder, right?

00:08:32.760 Instead of the easier wrong and to never tell a half truth when the whole can be one.

00:08:39.100 And when you think about that, the harder, right?

00:08:41.580 Versus the easier wrong.

00:08:42.620 I mean, I always say this, I, whenever I speak or recite it to someone who might be inquiring

00:08:47.540 about it, I give like the grocery cart analogy, like, okay, when my kids were little and I

00:08:52.840 live in Connecticut and it's cold and rainy and I have 15 grocery bags and I have to get

00:08:56.920 to an appointment.

00:08:57.580 And what do you want to do with that cart when you're done?

00:09:00.460 I'd like to shove it on the curb.

00:09:01.700 I'm in a rush and it's all about me, right?

00:09:04.580 Okay, fine.

00:09:05.220 What's the right thing?

00:09:06.340 Is it, is it right to leave it there for some young kid to come out in the snow and get

00:09:10.020 it?

00:09:10.200 No, put the damn cart away.

00:09:11.700 Like it's so basic, but it also goes along really well with, you know, um, tough decisions

00:09:18.060 that you have to make personally or professionally.

00:09:21.240 That prayer has done so much.

00:09:22.700 And also the back part of it, Megan, and this is just actually what I recited as the middle

00:09:26.720 kind of snippet of it, the most important part in my dad's mind, which is why he wanted

00:09:30.740 us to memorize it, but to never tell a half truth when the whole can be one.

00:09:37.180 That's something I'm really looking forward to doing.

00:09:39.440 I've never been able to do that in my life, to be able to tell the whole truth and not

00:09:45.720 tiptoe around.

00:09:47.080 Um, it can be scary, but it is the harder, right?

00:09:51.340 And once you accept it, once we're honest with what the right, because I believe we all

00:09:56.060 usually know, like deep down, we might not want to think about what's right, but we know

00:10:01.360 it's just easier to, when you can think of it that way, at least for me, it's, it's really

00:10:06.940 saved me.

00:10:08.320 I feel like it's what you were flirting with in the interview with Jay Cutler on his podcast

00:10:13.300 that got you in trouble with ESPN.

00:10:15.260 You were kind of flirting with, I know what the truth is here.

00:10:18.260 I know that they shouldn't have forced us to get these shots in our arms.

00:10:22.880 And it was the mildest criticism, but you know, we'll get to that in a minute, but yeah,

00:10:27.200 you flirted with it.

00:10:28.260 And I think once you go into your next chapter of fully embracing it, you're going to be happier

00:10:32.600 than you've ever been.

00:10:33.360 All right.

00:10:33.580 Put a pin in that for now.

00:10:34.720 Let's go back to mom and dad, uh, Mona and Gary.

00:10:37.920 Now, so your, your mom is white and your dad is black.

00:10:42.080 And this, they got married at a time when that was still somewhat controversial in some circles,

00:10:46.520 including in your mom's family, the NFL films, uh, crew zeroed in on, on a bit of this.

00:10:53.720 And what, what happened there?

00:10:55.180 Here's a clip, uh, to get the audience a flavor.

00:10:58.740 We ended up getting married at West Point.

00:11:01.720 We were young and very naive.

00:11:04.840 My parents, um, pretty much disowned me and didn't come to the wedding or anything like

00:11:10.620 that.

00:11:11.000 Mom and dad won't talk to her because she married a black man.

00:11:16.800 They were in Panama and she called her mom to say, I'm going to have a baby.

00:11:21.600 And her mom hung up the phone.

00:11:24.660 Because of my parents and all, I didn't count on other people.

00:11:29.500 It was just, I knew I could count on Gary.

00:11:33.380 There were many things that were said about what a relationship with a black husband would

00:11:40.300 be and how you would end up being treated, et cetera.

00:11:44.900 And so how are her parents going to know she's okay?

00:11:50.360 So I believe it was once a month.

00:11:52.820 Once a month.

00:11:53.500 And once a month I would pen a letter.

00:11:58.640 Here's where we are.

00:11:59.820 Here's what's going on.

00:12:01.240 Here's what we're doing together.

00:12:03.680 Never received a return letter.

00:12:06.840 They'd say, they need to know you're okay.

00:12:08.700 All right.

00:12:09.620 It was the right thing to do.

00:12:11.060 It was the proof of point.

00:12:13.340 You know, I am taking good care of this young woman.

00:12:17.520 I am doing the right thing.

00:12:22.560 That's, that's what you come from.

00:12:24.600 That kind of strength, that kind of love, right?

00:12:27.580 The, the romance between your parents.

00:12:30.540 What a gift that is to you and your brothers too.

00:12:33.240 What do you feel when you look at that clip?

00:12:34.720 Oh, look at you.

00:12:36.440 You did it, Megan.

00:12:38.500 I have, I have watched that probably 30 times.

00:12:43.660 And every time this is what happens.

00:12:45.980 Um, the most incredible part is that I didn't know that story.

00:12:51.480 My parents had never told me that story.

00:12:53.540 They were busy parenting and supporting us kids.

00:12:56.840 And so I'm so grateful to NFL films for, um, pulling that story out of my parents and having

00:13:03.600 it documented in such a way that long after I'm gone, my great grandkids will see what their

00:13:10.760 great, great grandparents did the decision they made.

00:13:14.520 Um, that's the only reason why any of us are here.

00:13:17.640 And my dad has done so many incredible things as a, as the first black man ever to play varsity

00:13:23.480 football at army, breaking the color barrier.

00:13:25.980 Um, so many things that he pushed through as an army brat himself.

00:13:29.800 His father was a Buffalo soldier, like incredible things.

00:13:32.520 And he's my guy and my mom, I say quite often, I believe she is even stronger because I cannot

00:13:41.260 imagine having the parents that I had and the support that I still have to be forced to

00:13:45.440 make that kind of a decision between the man you love and your family in 1970, 71, coming

00:13:54.480 off the civil rights era, um, when it wasn't popular period, but to have to choose between

00:13:59.720 your, your, your parents and the man you love and she did it.

00:14:02.740 And what if she hadn't, what if, I mean, obviously I wouldn't be here, but like an entire generation

00:14:08.700 is different because of my mom's courage and my dad, like he is a real man.

00:14:14.520 And I believe there's not many, it's not that there's not many, I'm sorry.

00:14:17.900 It's just times have changed.

00:14:20.240 And for my dad to be that kind of a man, to make sure her parents knew he had her back

00:14:26.520 and that he was taking care of her, um, that is the ultimate love story.

00:14:31.260 And, and what they have been through has reminded me that what I'm going through or have been

00:14:37.020 through is like cake.

00:14:39.280 Um, what they did is so much harder and so much more important.

00:14:43.760 So that's one of the reasons why I know I'm okay, because what they did is 10 times harder.

00:14:47.960 And they're the reason they're my, why they're the reason why, um, I have stood up and kept

00:14:53.820 fighting because it's the right thing, just like they did in 1970.

00:14:57.840 Did your grandparents ever come back into your life?

00:15:02.260 I mean, did they, did they ever reconcile?

00:15:04.940 Yeah, they did.

00:15:06.240 It took six or seven years and it was, um, initiated by my aunt Margie, who, um, is my

00:15:12.520 mom's youngest of the, of the fort.

00:15:14.340 I guess she's third of the four siblings.

00:15:15.900 My mom's the oldest and all the siblings were supportive.

00:15:19.020 It was just the mom and dad.

00:15:20.020 And they did come back, um, you know, a lot of damage was done.

00:15:24.240 And unfortunately, selfishly for me and my brothers, um, you know, we lived all over

00:15:28.940 the world and in different countries and States.

00:15:30.800 And so we were never able to establish that relationship with them because of the logistics.

00:15:36.040 Um, and you know what?

00:15:37.080 I have fond memories of them and they loved me.

00:15:40.100 And I know now, and my grandmother, um, is Italian, was Italian.

00:15:44.760 Her name, Megan was Philomena, Lena di Portola.

00:15:47.340 Yeah.

00:15:47.740 So she's a little, and my grandfather was a William Robert O'Neill, a little Irish.

00:15:52.080 So my mother, like, get out of the way.

00:15:54.600 She's almost 73 and she will take you out and everybody else.

00:15:57.820 So when I get fiery, I'm like that.

00:16:00.500 There you go.

00:16:01.360 Yes.

00:16:01.680 I can relate to this.

00:16:02.660 I too am the product of a half, half Italian, half, half Irish family.

00:16:06.280 A lot of fire, a lot of.

00:16:07.520 We can't help it.

00:16:09.060 10%.

00:16:09.460 Yeah.

00:16:10.260 All right.

00:16:10.520 So that, okay.

00:16:11.240 That that's good.

00:16:11.840 There was a reconciliation.

00:16:12.720 I remember your dad talked about it a little bit in the film and like how he made clear

00:16:16.420 to his in-laws, you know, I'm never going to forget what happened over these six years,

00:16:20.240 but we can consider this day one and go forward.

00:16:22.860 I mean, his strength is extraordinary.

00:16:24.860 And you talk about him being, um, just as you put it, he was the first black player at

00:16:30.540 army or at West point.

00:16:32.220 I want to make sure I get it correct.

00:16:34.040 Yes.

00:16:34.280 First black to play varsity football ever at West point.

00:16:38.280 And it's so crazy because when you look at football teams now and how they're made up

00:16:41.500 racially, you know, I think there's a picture in that NFL films piece of his entire army

00:16:47.420 football team, probably in 1967.

00:16:49.760 And he's pretty easy to spot the one place, um, of the entire football team.

00:16:56.760 And, and that, in that little, you know, black and white photo that's on that piece.

00:17:00.800 Um, yeah, he, he did it, but you know what he says, and he said in the piece too, he's

00:17:04.620 like, I just wanted to play football.

00:17:06.440 You know, this wasn't a belt race.

00:17:08.540 He said, somebody had to be the first and it happened to be me.

00:17:13.520 And he has handled it so beautifully.

00:17:15.920 Um, and he's a member of the army sports hall.

00:17:18.480 He was actually drafted in the NFL, which, you know, back then, like cadets in any service

00:17:24.700 academy were never allowed to go play professionally.

00:17:27.060 You had to serve your five years.

00:17:28.940 Um, and now they get pardoned in there.

00:17:30.860 They're able to do so more often if they're at a very top level, but that wasn't heard of

00:17:34.140 and the Detroit lions still drafted him in the 17th round.

00:17:37.440 Um, so I'm just super proud of my dad and that's where I got my love of sports is from

00:17:41.360 him.

00:17:41.780 Yes.

00:17:42.060 So this is like, all this makes sense.

00:17:43.560 Your love of sports, your love of country, your attitude toward, you know, today's obsession

00:17:49.020 with race that's taken over the country, which we can get to in a bit, but all of this, your

00:17:53.660 background really sets up the sage steel that I know and that we've all been watching for

00:17:58.540 the past couple of years and how you've been, you've gone against the grain on some dicey

00:18:02.620 issues and, uh, someone tried to punish you for it and you didn't take it lying down.

00:18:06.920 I love, love, love, love the whole background.

00:18:09.340 I want to know Mona.

00:18:10.320 I want to know Gary.

00:18:11.720 I, I, I can't skip the past, the background without talking about this moment though,

00:18:16.220 sage, I have to tell you as somebody who lost her dad to a heart attack when I was

00:18:20.240 only 15, he was only 45.

00:18:21.780 I, I too cried when I watched the NFL films because of the closeness that you have, the

00:18:26.580 relationship you have with him and you, you, they talked about in the film and you did

00:18:31.380 as well when your dad got cancer and went through some significant health issues, two vertebrae

00:18:39.320 removed and, you know, just kept fighting through it.

00:18:42.240 And there's a beautiful clip of you talking about that in the film.

00:18:45.480 Watch.

00:18:45.620 He is a prostate cancer survivor and is currently battling multiple myeloma.

00:18:54.560 It's hard to see your hero, you know, hurting.

00:19:01.500 He wanted to be the first person to ever give me flowers.

00:19:04.400 So I turned 16 and roses were delivered to the door and it was my dad.

00:19:09.920 He's my guy still is, you know, I mean, no one takes the place of your dad, right?

00:19:15.040 Oh, he's a rock.

00:19:18.060 Everything that he's gone through, we all get together and he's thanking us for being

00:19:22.860 there.

00:19:23.620 They took out two vertebrae.

00:19:25.900 C6 and C7.

00:19:27.100 A tumor the size of a little bit bigger than a golf ball.

00:19:30.980 Yeah.

00:19:31.280 Back.

00:19:32.500 We won't show you the scars, although it's kind of cool.

00:19:34.420 I don't know if you want to see him.

00:19:36.280 It's like, I didn't know if I was going to make it to 71.

00:19:39.720 I just want to be around you guys.

00:19:40.940 I just want to live.

00:19:43.460 Okay.

00:19:43.820 So I can't, right?

00:19:45.620 It's like, he wanted to be the first to give me flowers.

00:19:48.960 That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard.

00:19:51.080 I've got to talk to Doug today.

00:19:52.820 He's got to be the first to give me hardly flowers.

00:19:55.180 We got to keep that rolling in our own family.

00:19:58.080 Yeah.

00:19:58.300 And I, how is he?

00:20:00.160 That's what, I mean, that was my number one thing.

00:20:01.600 How's he doing?

00:20:03.620 Oh, it's been a tough couple of weeks.

00:20:05.740 Um, he, he's still, first of all, has prostate cancer, which he had the robotic surgery to remove

00:20:12.740 the prostate in 2011.

00:20:16.160 Uh, and then it was gone.

00:20:17.360 And then two years later, it came back and it metastasized and it's in his lower spine.

00:20:20.580 It has behaved lately.

00:20:21.920 I talked to that prostate cancer a lot and I'm like, you stay in your lane.

00:20:25.140 And so that has been dormant.

00:20:27.840 Um, the multiple myeloma happened in 2017 and, um, you know, he just turned 77 in June.

00:20:34.640 His spirits are incredible.

00:20:36.380 I just told you about our trip to Greece and I've been planning it since 2020.

00:20:39.700 And then the damn pandemic got in the way and some of his health issues.

00:20:43.220 And I was determined to make this happen.

00:20:45.720 Um, it was a 15 day trip scheduled with me and my mom, my three kids, and some dear friends

00:20:52.580 of ours from here in Connecticut who are actually from Greece.

00:20:55.600 And we, and we had to cut it short.

00:20:59.220 Um, I had to come home, bring my mom and dad home after eight days.

00:21:02.620 Um, there's just a lot of effects.

00:21:04.540 Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer, but, but it affects your bones and it has just taken

00:21:09.720 quite a toll.

00:21:10.980 Um, I, I, I've never seen him in, uh, as bad a shape and as much pain as he was in, in

00:21:16.700 Greece a week ago.

00:21:18.300 Um, but it was, it, uh, it was, uh, um, it was a moment because I saw him in pain and he

00:21:27.100 was so happy.

00:21:28.420 Um, he was, he still speaks Greek fluently.

00:21:30.960 It's incredible, excuse me, drink.

00:21:32.960 It's incredible.

00:21:34.120 But he was so happy and I was like, we're going to stay.

00:21:37.160 And then I realized he was in such pain and he was pushing through for me.

00:21:41.020 So I, you know, took over as the little girl and I'm like, dad, we got to go.

00:21:46.120 Um, and, um, I got them the next day, kind of an emergency trip back to get to, to Johns

00:21:52.080 Hopkins where he's been treated for the last 12 years for all of his cancers.

00:21:56.120 And I, you know, Santorini to Athens, to JFK to five hours to Baltimore and Friday traffic

00:22:02.320 to the hospital and my poor mother.

00:22:04.420 And, and I did it.

00:22:06.360 I left my kids in Greece, which was insane, but we have dear friends and they partied

00:22:10.180 in Mykonos without me.

00:22:11.140 I still, they're not telling me what happened, but they're alive.

00:22:13.760 So I guess it's.

00:22:14.580 And they're, they're a little older.

00:22:16.040 They're like 19, 20.

00:22:17.340 Like that's true.

00:22:18.520 Let me clarify.

00:22:19.180 Um, 17, 19 and 21.

00:22:22.660 And I know there's no drinking age in Greece, so whatever.

00:22:24.920 Um, but I will tell you, my dad, uh, told me yesterday, um, thank you for, you know,

00:22:34.260 doing the right thing, the harder, right.

00:22:36.600 And that moment when I wanted him to continue to enjoy, because I don't know how many more

00:22:40.360 trips like this are left, frankly, just because of the difficulty it is to travel.

00:22:44.780 And by the way, he's shrunk about three inches.

00:22:47.120 He's still six, three, six, four.

00:22:49.980 He's a massive picture of him, the Colonel.

00:22:52.620 They call him the Colonel.

00:22:53.280 I know you're, you're his, his grandkids call him the Colonel.

00:22:56.020 He's towering in those West Point photos.

00:22:58.540 I mean, it, it seems hard to believe when you see somebody that strong, both physically

00:23:02.660 and mentally and emotionally, you know, start to hurt, start to suffer that it's the same

00:23:08.460 person, but he, he seems like such a dignified, strong guy.

00:23:12.240 Sage, I, I hope you would love him.

00:23:14.400 You would love him.

00:23:15.220 And I hope you can too, but I, I got them, I got them to Greece.

00:23:18.640 We did the most important thing.

00:23:20.020 We got to that little apartment.

00:23:21.480 We got to go to the bakery around the corner where I grew up going to get warm bread every

00:23:25.980 day.

00:23:26.240 And my parents got to go back to when it was such a beautiful, innocent time.

00:23:30.840 And I'm so grateful.

00:23:32.360 So it's like one of those things.

00:23:33.440 It was a, it was an amazing trip and all the hard work that you and I do to support our

00:23:37.520 families and to be able to have experiences that those eight days were worth everything,

00:23:44.900 all the pain and the ups and downs, because I got to, I, as a daughter got to, got to give

00:23:50.460 them that.

00:23:51.640 Mm-hmm.

00:23:52.400 This makes me want to take my mom back to Syracuse, New York, where we'll freeze our

00:23:55.500 asses off, including in June, maybe, maybe we'll have a trip to, she'll go around yelling

00:24:03.040 at everybody and I'll yell at her.

00:24:05.000 Then we'll do it the Italian way.

00:24:06.640 Um, okay.

00:24:07.560 So I, the whole story has got me like, honestly, I'm already, we're, we're both already in tears.

00:24:12.260 So that's that portion of our interview I think is over.

00:24:14.780 Um, and we'll move forward to what happens next for a young stage seal.

00:24:18.740 So you decided to go into reporting and you wound up going to high school in Indiana.

00:24:23.300 And, and now we understand why sports, sports is in your blood, sports is in your family.

00:24:27.200 Cause you know, I always wonder what makes a young woman choose sports reporting over

00:24:31.320 news reporting.

00:24:32.060 And I will confess, I think too many of them are like, I want to be the hot girl on the

00:24:36.280 sideline.

00:24:36.800 Forgive me.

00:24:37.520 That's what I think.

00:24:38.440 Not, not Sage steel.

00:24:40.140 Right.

00:24:40.380 I mean, like that's, um, so you actually knew about sports and you wanted to report on

00:24:44.760 them.

00:24:45.020 You go, your career starts taking off local news at first.

00:24:48.240 And then 2007 comes the dream job, right?

00:24:51.360 I mean, when ESPN comes calling, that's gotta be the dream job, especially in 2007.

00:24:56.660 I had been talking about ESPN since I was in high school.

00:25:00.500 I was 11 when I announced I was going to be a sportscaster.

00:25:03.400 I was 11 years old.

00:25:04.140 I knew I was watching the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

00:25:07.300 And I, I was so in awe of these athletes and as an athlete myself, not a great one.

00:25:12.280 And I tried, um, but I, you know, I ran track and field and I did the equestrian thing, but

00:25:16.820 I remember being on the starting line of the 800 meters and wanting to vomit and almost

00:25:20.360 vomiting and other things too, because I was nervous.

00:25:22.500 And I'm like, how on God's green earth do these athletes work their entire lives for

00:25:28.140 this one moment with the entire world watching and not crap their pants, not pass out.

00:25:33.540 Like I wanted to know what made them great and what gave them that mental toughness to

00:25:40.580 have it all come together at the perfect moment, a once in a lifetime chance.

00:25:45.120 And I wanted to tell their stories, what made them great, because that translates in every

00:25:49.040 aspect of life.

00:25:50.200 So I knew from a young age, I wanted to do that.

00:25:52.620 Um, and then when ESPN became big, I was like, that's what I want to do.

00:25:58.060 Um, so, um, here's the funny story is that I started working at ESPN in 2007, but I got

00:26:05.580 my first offer from ESPN in 2004 and I actually turned it down, even though I'd been saying

00:26:12.900 for 20 years that that was my dream job.

00:26:15.360 And the reason I turned it down is because I, I was pregnant with my second child.

00:26:20.440 My first was like 18 months old and I went up for the audition to Bristol right around

00:26:26.920 the corner here.

00:26:28.180 And, um, I, I actually, it helped me to be pregnant because I was like, y'all don't understand

00:26:34.040 what's happening in my belly right now.

00:26:35.540 Like this child boy, girl, I didn't know what it was is bouncing on my bladder and you're

00:26:39.680 asking me to redo a highlight.

00:26:41.240 Let's go.

00:26:41.920 So I think that attitude or that the hormones helped me like have a good audition because

00:26:47.200 I wasn't tight, but I, I, I got back.

00:26:50.200 And they offered the job.

00:26:51.260 And I just, I knew thanks to one of my, um, greatest friends, the late Stuart Scott, he's

00:26:59.820 a true legend at ESPN.

00:27:01.800 Um, he had pulled me aside before we did the same agent at the time.

00:27:04.800 And he's like, listen, girl, you gotta be ready to go to ESPN.

00:27:09.160 It is not for the faint of heart.

00:27:10.740 And I told him I wanted to have, I wanted to have four kids.

00:27:13.640 And he's like, just, just be ready.

00:27:16.920 Even when you're ready, you're not ready.

00:27:18.720 And so I took that advice and made my own decision.

00:27:23.040 My agent, my, um, husband, ex-husband now, but my husband at the time, my, my, my parents,

00:27:28.660 everyone was like, have you lost your mind?

00:27:31.840 This has been your dream since you're a child.

00:27:33.180 And you're saying no.

00:27:33.980 And I just said, my parents raised me, mom that you raised me to focus on family.

00:27:39.520 And if you put family first, everything else will work out.

00:27:42.780 So I turned it down.

00:27:43.680 My agent's like, well, good luck.

00:27:44.880 You're gonna be blackballed.

00:27:45.640 They'll never call you back because ESPN doesn't need you.

00:27:49.600 You need ESPN.

00:27:50.640 And I took a shot and they called back three years later.

00:27:54.940 That's such a nice beginning.

00:27:59.020 And those feelings when you, you know, first walk into that amazing first, especially television

00:28:03.720 job, because it's very heady.

00:28:05.540 It's exciting.

00:28:07.220 It has interesting people in the industry that there's nothing like that.

00:28:10.980 It really does.

00:28:11.760 I remember that feeling at Fox, just feeling like this is the beginning of everything.

00:28:15.180 Anything is possible.

00:28:16.860 My life is going to exciting places.

00:28:18.960 I can't possibly fully understand where, but that feeling of excitement and promise is

00:28:24.540 it's tough to beat, you know, and, and then they beat you down and you swim in a toxic

00:28:31.720 stew, but we get wiser, Sage.

00:28:36.220 We get wiser, get some battle scars.

00:28:41.500 It started off terribly because I was in over my head.

00:28:45.660 And usually at the time they would train us on ESPN news, it was a good, at least 30 day

00:28:51.000 process where there were just weren't as many eyeballs in ESPN news.

00:28:54.040 And you did a bunch of highlights and you could screw up and no one was watching.

00:28:57.000 And I, I didn't get that because, um, there was a shortage one day and someone called them

00:29:03.380 sick and they're like, oh my gosh, we need you.

00:29:04.820 And I was just, um, just shadowing people.

00:29:07.760 And I'm like, you what?

00:29:09.980 Megan, I knew I wasn't ready, but what do you do?

00:29:13.220 Do you say no?

00:29:14.480 No, you have to do it.

00:29:16.020 You do it.

00:29:17.260 And my first day on the job for all those basketball fans out there, college hoops was

00:29:23.120 day one of the NCAA tournament in 2007, March Madness.

00:29:28.620 That first Thursday, there's like 1300 games in one day.

00:29:33.820 And I was asked to host the 6 PM Eastern sports center prime time and an hour show live show

00:29:39.600 went to two hours and 45 minutes with no rundown out the window, all the stars in studio who I

00:29:45.600 never even met go.

00:29:48.100 And, um, it did not go so well.

00:29:52.380 I was, uh, I was called in the office after and they're like, so how do you think you did?

00:29:57.080 And I'm like, I mean, I would, I'd been sobbing because I knew I was awful.

00:30:00.880 Um, but they're extenuating circumstances and the right producers went on that day and there

00:30:06.560 was zero communication.

00:30:07.560 And, um, and I, but I took responsibility, even though there was nothing I could have done.

00:30:13.840 If I know there was nothing I could have done differently.

00:30:15.780 It still didn't feel good because, um, you only get that first chance, that one chance

00:30:21.080 for that first impression.

00:30:21.900 Right.

00:30:22.440 The thing that saved me as an executive who pulled me aside, who ran sports run at the

00:30:27.100 time, he's still there, um, after 30 years.

00:30:30.580 And despite all the laughs, he's still there.

00:30:32.080 And he pulled me in his office and he said, we set you up to fail and I'm sorry.

00:30:39.040 Wow.

00:30:40.180 Yeah.

00:30:41.560 That's it.

00:30:42.020 No one ever takes responsibility like that in television.

00:30:44.000 That's amazing.

00:30:44.760 What a guy.

00:30:45.500 Never.

00:30:46.340 I'm still friends with him.

00:30:48.240 Um, he, I, I, I see him quite often at a workout class in town and I've told him a million

00:30:56.100 times.

00:30:56.360 He's like, ah, whatever.

00:30:57.220 I meant it.

00:30:57.640 We screwed up.

00:30:58.240 And I'm like, no, you saved me.

00:31:00.900 Now I was demoted pretty quickly after that.

00:31:03.100 I didn't get many other opportunities for a couple of years.

00:31:05.620 Um, I went on updates at five in the morning and I was never to be heard from again.

00:31:10.360 Um, it took me two years to find my confidence again.

00:31:14.340 Actually, it took me two years to get pissed off and to realize that it happened for a reason.

00:31:21.700 Some, they took some responsibility.

00:31:23.200 I took some responsibility, even though, again, I was a rookie and maybe shouldn't have been

00:31:26.840 put in a position, but I said, yes.

00:31:28.100 Um, and I thought I'll be damned if I'm going to let them or anyone else dictate how this

00:31:37.980 goes from here on out.

00:31:39.100 I only had one year left on a three-year deal.

00:31:41.460 And I said, this has been my lifelong dream.

00:31:43.540 I got to go.

00:31:44.440 I have to fix this.

00:31:45.580 And even if they never give me another contract again, which I was convinced they would not,

00:31:49.960 why would they?

00:31:50.840 I had no confidence.

00:31:51.960 I was scared to death of my own shadow.

00:31:54.020 So I knew I didn't deserve there, deserve to be there in my mind.

00:31:57.700 And I said, this is it.

00:31:59.140 It's do or die.

00:32:00.520 Um, and the meantime, I was prepared to not get another contract.

00:32:03.600 And so, um, my husband at the time was a full-time stay-at-home dad.

00:32:07.780 And the kids, when I started at ESPN were 11 months, two and four.

00:32:12.720 And I thought, well, all the, I'm the breadwinner, the sole breadwinner.

00:32:16.280 I have to find something else.

00:32:17.380 So I would do my morning show updates in the morning.

00:32:20.700 And then in the evenings, I started to sell, um, our bond skincare, like a pyramid thing.

00:32:27.360 And I would go host parties and sell skincare and beg people to buy $80 moisturizers that

00:32:33.120 I couldn't afford.

00:32:34.100 And I'm the worst salesperson, but I was a disaster and I was sleeping two hours a night,

00:32:38.960 but I'm like, I have to go out with a bang if nothing else.

00:32:44.480 And they gave me another contract.

00:32:46.960 I think the anger, um, drove me and that showed on the air and they gave me another shot and

00:32:54.840 another shot and another shot.

00:32:56.320 So I pulled myself up from my bootstraps and I think that army toughness kicked in at the

00:33:00.380 last second.

00:33:01.720 Yes.

00:33:02.320 Yes.

00:33:02.780 Oh my gosh.

00:33:03.320 I'm thinking about my friend right now.

00:33:04.660 Who's a single mom and she's wondering what, what, where her next paycheck is going to

00:33:08.800 come from.

00:33:09.340 And I keep telling her, I'm like, go get a job at the Piggly Wiggly.

00:33:12.780 Do it.

00:33:13.300 You know, like this will just be a chapter in your life story.

00:33:16.760 It's, you know, work hard.

00:33:18.980 You save yourself.

00:33:20.960 That's what I say to her.

00:33:22.240 That's what you realized.

00:33:23.740 No one's coming to save me.

00:33:25.640 I have to do it.

00:33:27.060 And instead of feeling like a victim in that moment, it can turn into something so empowering

00:33:32.040 that shows you like those beautiful biceps of yours.

00:33:35.480 You do have the strength.

00:33:36.960 You have it more ways than one.

00:33:38.480 Please hug your friend for me because I remember that.

00:33:43.000 And I remember whether it's my first job in South Bend, Indiana on TV during the day, waiting

00:33:48.760 tables, passing out steaks at night, or when I reached the pinnacle for a sportscaster, the

00:33:53.920 end all be all, the worldwide leader at ESPN on TV during the day and selling skincare at

00:33:59.480 night.

00:33:59.720 No one knew, but I knew that I had to do it for my family and to save myself, knowing

00:34:07.640 that I'm not going down without a fight.

00:34:10.220 I just, Megan, I didn't know I had a fight in me until I had to.

00:34:14.540 So I'm grateful for that brutal start.

00:34:16.900 I'm grateful for getting my butt kicked by people there, even all the way up to the very

00:34:21.800 end, because now I know that I can kind of handle anything.

00:34:27.360 I'm like, well, that's, I mean, this would become important on multiple fronts, personal

00:34:33.080 and professional.

00:34:34.700 That's where we'll pause.

00:34:36.020 We'll squeeze in a quick break.

00:34:37.300 More with the one and only Sage Steele coming up.

00:34:40.720 Oh, loving, loving the whole thing.

00:34:46.520 Sage.

00:34:47.340 So let's just spend a minute on life at ESPN, because my impression in knowing a few women

00:34:53.240 sports reporters is, I mean, most of these female journalists in the sports world, they

00:34:59.400 are cutthroat.

00:35:00.980 I mean, I don't know if it's because it's a male dominated industry.

00:35:04.800 News in general is kind of cutthroat, but and especially for women, but especially for

00:35:09.480 some reason in the sports journalism field.

00:35:12.780 Was that your experience?

00:35:14.140 Has that been your experience?

00:35:16.520 Yes.

00:35:17.000 And it's broken my heart.

00:35:21.420 Yeah.

00:35:21.740 Yes.

00:35:22.280 I mean, I'm so tired of sugarcoating things.

00:35:26.320 It's like it's probably my biggest disappointment on my side, or I guess our industry as a whole,

00:35:34.820 especially because as women, what do we say?

00:35:37.960 We talk about the men all the time and we're always like, you know, and they're keeping us

00:35:42.380 down in the glass ceiling and not, we do it to ourselves half the time.

00:35:46.520 And to me, it's inexcusable.

00:35:49.140 So I remember when I got to ESPN and I was so excited because there were not many, but

00:35:53.840 a couple of other on-air women who had children.

00:35:56.580 And I just wanted to pick their brain, one in particular, I wanted to pick her brain because

00:36:00.880 how do you do this on the national level with little kids, you know?

00:36:06.060 And she wasn't having it.

00:36:09.240 Really?

00:36:09.600 I was very clear, like, you're not on my level next.

00:36:13.960 So I was like, sorry.

00:36:15.320 One of the people that I kind of idolized for so many years too, watching from afar.

00:36:19.580 It happened many times.

00:36:21.520 And I just, I felt so alone because in general and in sports, I mean, you don't want to rely

00:36:28.840 on the men early on in my career for advice or help because you're assuming, especially when

00:36:36.160 I came out of college in 1995, that they don't want you there anyway, which wasn't the case.

00:36:41.460 It's just kind of what's taught to you and the assumption.

00:36:44.160 It was the case with some, but I don't want to put everybody in that basket.

00:36:47.580 But you're supposed to be there for each other as the women until you are, apparently.

00:36:52.380 Um, and it just was another level at ESPN.

00:36:57.060 What I realized though, again, was I'm grateful for that because I realized that, gosh, once

00:37:03.180 I'd been there a few years and got that second contract and thought, okay, maybe, maybe I

00:37:06.340 have a shot here to continue this career.

00:37:08.580 Um, that I was determined to not allow other women to feel the way I had, um, alone and

00:37:18.040 scared to death.

00:37:19.720 So I remember trying really hard when other women would come in and, and, and reaching

00:37:24.240 out and, you know, most of them did not have kids.

00:37:26.440 I don't think any of them had kids really.

00:37:29.080 Um, and some of them that had no interest and that's fine.

00:37:32.460 Um, I mean, I, I used to host, you know, like your Stella and dot, like your jewelry parties

00:37:37.980 and clothing cabbie parties and whatever.

00:37:40.120 And I did it to try to invite people over and I'm such a social butterfly.

00:37:43.960 And most of the time it didn't work.

00:37:45.880 Didn't, they didn't really show up, but, but it's okay.

00:37:48.260 That was their choice.

00:37:49.200 And I tried, I just thought if I'm going to complain about how I was treated, then, then

00:37:53.020 I owe it to the next woman to at least offer a hand, you know, and all of branch.

00:37:58.680 Um, and it, it didn't, it didn't really get much better through the years, but I got better

00:38:03.520 with it myself.

00:38:04.280 And I think that's the key.

00:38:05.380 Once you realize that you're trying, you just can't control how everybody else receives

00:38:09.000 things or behaves.

00:38:10.520 Um, and then it, you kind of get that.

00:38:13.060 I found a piece with it.

00:38:15.120 Um, I just, it's also one of those things where it's a lesson quite often.

00:38:19.720 I think we hear it a lot in sports.

00:38:21.260 Like, you know, we tell our kids, you know, your favorite athlete, you don't want to meet

00:38:25.760 them, you know, because sometimes you're disappointed.

00:38:27.440 That's what happened with me with a couple of women where I was like, gosh, I had you

00:38:32.240 here for years.

00:38:34.380 And then I specifically, you, nice try, Megan Kelly.

00:38:41.280 Here's the good news though.

00:38:42.680 Even though you were getting the frosty reception from the women, I know you had the pleasure

00:38:46.680 of working with delightful men like Keith Olbermann.

00:38:49.320 So I'm sure it was really warm and fuzzy on that side.

00:38:54.320 That's, that was wonderful.

00:38:55.740 I can't.

00:38:56.940 Okay.

00:38:57.180 I have a story.

00:38:58.800 Oh, good.

00:39:01.100 I was doing the 6 PM sports center for, um, three years, I think.

00:39:06.500 Um, probably my least favorite role when I job, when I was there, but I was doing that

00:39:10.980 show and prime time and you don't say no to it and whatever.

00:39:13.840 Um, so, um, when my cohost was out, um, Keith Olbermann had been brought back for, I don't

00:39:19.620 know, the third time at ESPN and, um, he was living in New York city, of course.

00:39:24.220 And Keith has a lot of dogs and loves his dogs.

00:39:28.840 I love my dog too, sometimes.

00:39:31.240 And he, when he would fill in though, um, decided that he, he didn't want to leave his

00:39:37.300 dogs and he couldn't come to Bristol.

00:39:38.900 So I was asked to go to New York to do it, the show in that studio instead.

00:39:45.360 So Keith could be with his dogs.

00:39:48.420 Um, I, and listen again, as a sportscaster, Keith was one of the OGs.

00:39:55.040 I mean, Keith was incredible and his, and the heyday of sports center, Keith Olbermann

00:40:00.340 and Dan Patrick.

00:40:01.180 And, um, I mean, Bob Lee, who's the all time goat in my mind and Stuart Scott and Kenny

00:40:06.260 Maine.

00:40:06.640 And I'm, I mean, Keith was great at that and talented.

00:40:13.680 And I looked up to him and it was another one of those, damn it.

00:40:16.440 Why did I meet one of my, one of the people that I loved, you know, he was fine to my face.

00:40:20.880 Um, I'd love to see him face to face now, just to, I have a conversation, which the C

00:40:26.840 word, God forbid, we use that these days and have a conversation.

00:40:29.740 Um, listen, I, I see what he says.

00:40:32.620 It gets sent to me.

00:40:33.680 People actually don't even waste their time anymore because, um, he's a way people like

00:40:38.620 that who are honestly, I'm not trying to be rude or mean or funny, but like when you're

00:40:43.480 so full of hatred, um, I don't want that energy in my life.

00:40:48.080 I'm such a positive person and I really had to work at that.

00:40:51.660 Um, and I'm actually really nice person.

00:40:54.800 It's Keith's loss.

00:40:56.120 I mean, I'm kind of fun, but he's not, he's proven that.

00:40:59.660 Was he nice to you?

00:41:00.640 Like when you saw him in person, when you were working together?

00:41:02.940 Cause I mean, I see he's attacking you.

00:41:04.620 Trust me, he's attacking me and I'm attacking him too.

00:41:07.180 And it's fun, uh, regularly on Twitter nowadays.

00:41:09.920 But when you were colleagues, how was that?

00:41:13.200 It was fine to my face.

00:41:14.420 You know, listen, I think he knew, um, that we probably didn't agree on most things, but

00:41:19.080 to me, I actually took it as even more of a challenge.

00:41:21.460 I knew, I mean, hello, who didn't know his politics?

00:41:23.960 I just don't happen to care about his politics or anyone else's because I'm looking at you

00:41:27.900 as a human being.

00:41:28.760 How do you treat me?

00:41:29.520 And at that time he treated me well.

00:41:31.360 I don't know what he said behind my back at that time, but also he was filling in on

00:41:35.320 my show.

00:41:36.420 So, um, maybe there was that dynamic that changed the way that he treated me and was respectful.

00:41:42.940 Um, but I will always be respectful to others.

00:41:46.280 Um, I always have been, there's one moment when I, I, I had to have a moment with a former

00:41:51.420 co-host after an incident that will someday be in the book.

00:41:54.460 Cause the book's going to be really good.

00:41:55.780 Maybe I just have to find the energy and the focus to write it to help me.

00:41:59.600 Um, but it's fine.

00:42:02.220 I just, it was another one of those disappointing moments where you're like later, once I see

00:42:06.680 the hatred that he's viewing, um, I'm like, gosh, you just don't want to meet the people

00:42:10.620 that you think are great.

00:42:11.720 No, well, you were very wrong.

00:42:14.580 I'm sorry to tell you very wrong.

00:42:16.200 He is not great.

00:42:17.160 And I do believe, I don't say this about everybody.

00:42:19.380 I genuinely don't.

00:42:20.380 He's a raging misogynist.

00:42:22.420 He's a total prick.

00:42:23.900 Let's just be honest, complete and utter prick who I have zero desire to see you face

00:42:29.740 to face with.

00:42:30.420 Nevermind myself.

00:42:31.500 Here he tweeted this out this week.

00:42:33.540 I can take him Megan.

00:42:34.640 Like I could totally take him down.

00:42:36.320 Um, I mean, yeah, you could, and you're so much classier than he is that it should never

00:42:41.480 happen.

00:42:41.780 The two of you should never interact.

00:42:44.020 He tweeted this out on Tuesday after your settlement was announced about you.

00:42:47.980 Sage doesn't know the difference between the first amendment and first take, which I just

00:42:52.640 had to be told as an ESPN show, um, an utter phony who will never realize for as long as

00:42:58.560 15 seconds that everyone can see through her at all times.

00:43:02.260 So Keith Olbermann is apparently, I mean, in addition to being evil and a misogynist, a

00:43:06.580 moron because there are special laws in Connecticut, which is what made it very problematic for ESPN

00:43:12.920 to F with you.

00:43:14.280 So he should go do his little research.

00:43:16.080 One thing he's not is a lawyer.

00:43:18.180 And it is a very apparent in any attempted legal tape that take that he offers, um, is

00:43:23.020 any event that enough about that loser.

00:43:24.760 Uh, so that's ESPN your, but not, notwithstanding some of the nastiness internally, your career

00:43:29.440 is thriving.

00:43:30.400 You're doing well and getting more opportunities and you're hosting various specials and you're

00:43:35.100 hosting various shows.

00:43:35.980 And then you went on, okay, forgive me, but I know Jay Cutler is like a former NFL guy,

00:43:44.100 right?

00:43:44.260 Like what, who, who is Jay Cutler and what brought you to his show?

00:43:47.680 This is another reason why I love you.

00:43:49.060 You just own the whole lack of sports thing.

00:43:51.000 I just love it.

00:43:52.180 Um, he is a former NFL quarterback.

00:43:55.100 He played for the Chicago bears for many years and he had started, uh, he retired.

00:43:58.400 He used to be married to Kristen Cavallari.

00:43:59.940 So he was in that whole Hollywood scene too.

00:44:01.520 Um, and I, I, I knew his publicist and he said, Hey, Jay Cutler started a new podcast

00:44:08.160 and he's only had two episodes, but he wanted to have a woman.

00:44:11.300 And would you be willing?

00:44:12.080 I mean, I, it was like a favor to the publicist.

00:44:14.620 I'd never met Jay.

00:44:15.320 And I said, sure, why not?

00:44:17.120 I mean, I'm a sportscaster.

00:44:18.520 I talked about him a million times on the air and why not?

00:44:22.200 So it was really, it was really that simple.

00:44:24.380 It's not like I was, you know, going on with, um, you know, Megan Kelly or Tucker Carlson,

00:44:30.820 where there's, there's, it's a news political lean.

00:44:33.440 Maybe it was a quarterback.

00:44:35.420 It was just to have a conversation with a former QB.

00:44:38.600 Okay.

00:44:39.040 And so this was during the whole COVID pandemic.

00:44:41.580 Was it 2021 Sage?

00:44:43.300 Yes.

00:44:44.240 Okay.

00:44:44.500 2021.

00:44:44.960 So you go on, you're having a conversation and, um, you said a few things that caused

00:44:51.220 the backlash and that will ultimately lead to the lawsuit.

00:44:53.720 So we'll play a couple.

00:44:55.120 Now this one actually wasn't, I don't think this is part of the, uh, you know, the, what

00:44:59.200 ESPN was hitting you for, but you'll tell me you made a comment that I referenced earlier,

00:45:03.360 my own beliefs about female reporters.

00:45:06.560 Um, and you know, like the ones who you choose to mentor and the ones who you really don't.

00:45:10.100 And this is SOT one.

00:45:10.900 I love to talk to you about this.

00:45:12.300 Here's the thing.

00:45:12.860 There is a fine line and I handled it.

00:45:14.700 Like I didn't get anybody because that's not my person.

00:45:16.900 It wasn't my personality.

00:45:17.600 Then I might now a little more.

00:45:19.760 Um, but I do think as women, we need to be responsible as well.

00:45:26.900 It isn't just on players and athletes and coaches to act a certain way.

00:45:31.340 I mean, I've had talks with young women who like would come in and they'd intern, um, with,

00:45:36.960 with me, with our channel or just other women who reach out to me now.

00:45:40.120 And I've said to a couple of them, they're like, well, would you look at my tape?

00:45:42.680 Would you do this?

00:45:43.200 And I, and I've said, listen, I would love to, but the way that you present yourself,

00:45:46.980 it's not something I want to be associated with.

00:45:49.320 So when you dress like that, I'm not saying you deserve the gross comments, but you know

00:45:55.720 what you're doing when you're putting that outfit on too.

00:45:57.820 Like women are smart.

00:45:59.040 So don't play coy and put it all on the guys when we, and again, I'm not saying anybody

00:46:04.900 deserves anything, but we need to be responsible as women too, because we know what we're doing.

00:46:10.960 A hundred percent true.

00:46:11.900 Everything you said is correct, but was there blowback for that?

00:46:14.920 Was that also something they didn't like?

00:46:17.640 Yes.

00:46:18.220 It was very clearly one of the three things that they did not like.

00:46:22.180 I stand by it.

00:46:23.560 I will say it till the day I die.

00:46:25.580 I've been in those locker rooms.

00:46:27.420 I've been in corporate boardrooms.

00:46:29.560 I've been to clubs.

00:46:31.740 There was a difference what we wear and we know it.

00:46:35.340 I also have like three kids.

00:46:37.240 I have two daughters.

00:46:37.980 They're now 21.

00:46:38.900 So she's an adult and 17.

00:46:41.580 And we have had these, um, discussions slash arguments for years.

00:46:44.800 Um, and listen, it's a different time.

00:46:47.560 It's a different era.

00:46:48.200 When I was in college, the end thing was you're like two XL baggy sweatshirts that you wore

00:46:55.040 around campus.

00:46:55.680 And it wasn't about the style have styles have changed.

00:47:00.260 Instagram, social media has changed the viewpoint for our daughters and the pressures that are

00:47:04.480 on them and the body image stuff too.

00:47:06.300 Um, so I get it.

00:47:07.600 Things have changed.

00:47:08.200 However, to me, our standards should not.

00:47:11.100 And I tell them, I'll say it again.

00:47:13.860 We are smart.

00:47:15.220 Women are brilliant.

00:47:16.160 Women are the better species to me.

00:47:19.960 Like we're, we're, we're just amazing.

00:47:21.720 And so don't play dumb because we know that when we wear certain things, we're going to

00:47:26.540 get certain looks.

00:47:27.180 I say this to my daughter, um, both of them.

00:47:29.060 I'm like, listen, you are stunning in every way.

00:47:32.800 And God made you perfectly.

00:47:35.300 Um, when you wear that, that, and it's down here or up here, I'm like, listen, I love men.

00:47:42.200 I love men, but I'm looking at you too right now.

00:47:45.040 And I'm not interested in women.

00:47:46.440 I'm looking at you too, because you're like, you're, you're, so I just, um, I'll continue

00:47:52.840 to make the separation too.

00:47:54.760 We do not deserve, um, negative comments, certainly anything that goes beyond that hands

00:48:01.500 touch and nothing.

00:48:02.380 It's disgusting.

00:48:03.180 Men be better.

00:48:05.460 Women be better because we know exactly what we're doing and our why.

00:48:10.240 And I'm just saying that I, I think that there is a way to be attractive and maybe even sexy

00:48:16.740 and professional.

00:48:18.520 You don't have to pick one and I will always stand by that.

00:48:22.380 That's right.

00:48:22.800 I couldn't agree with you more.

00:48:23.820 You get in the, in the workplace setting dress professionally and you will, you should expect

00:48:29.880 professional results.

00:48:30.780 But if you go in there dressed like, you know, a prostitute, you're going to get all

00:48:35.280 kinds of attention that you do not want.

00:48:36.740 It's a simple thing.

00:48:37.780 It's a simple, it's not to say, okay, you get sexually assaulted.

00:48:40.200 It's your fault.

00:48:41.000 It's to say when, when the eyes come on you, you cannot sit back and say, oh, he looked

00:48:46.940 at me.

00:48:47.340 Oh, he came on to me.

00:48:48.640 It's like, well, why were you showing your coochie at the workplace?

00:48:51.140 Cause that, that's going to make most men look like, all right, stand by.

00:48:54.780 I'm going to squeeze in a quick break and we'll pick it up on the opposite side of this

00:48:58.040 as, as stage, as stage still stays with us.

00:49:01.140 Uh, don't forget folks.

00:49:02.160 You can find the Megan Kelly show live on Sirius XM triumph channel one 11, every weekday

00:49:06.020 at noon East full video show at youtube.com slash Megan Kelly.

00:49:09.960 You can get the good clips there too.

00:49:11.240 The audio podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts for free.

00:49:15.920 Check it out.

00:49:17.140 We'll be right back.

00:49:20.580 All right, Sage.

00:49:21.440 So the other two things that made a lot of headlines were comments on the vaccine and

00:49:26.620 then comments about, uh, being the child of, uh, being a biracial child and comparing the,

00:49:32.820 what Obama, uh, had said about himself.

00:49:34.920 So the, as we can see in the interview, you've got a bandaid on your arm because you were complying

00:49:41.100 with the ESPN slash Disney mandate that all of its employees get the VAX.

00:49:46.920 And not only did they make you get the VAX, the double VAX, they made you get a booster

00:49:50.560 and you complied, you complied, even though you didn't want to comply, but you did it.

00:49:55.260 And then you had the temerity to make a mild criticism of the fact that you were forced

00:50:00.180 into it.

00:50:00.860 Like everybody else there.

00:50:02.040 Here's that bit.

00:50:03.080 Sot three.

00:50:04.000 What's the bandaid for?

00:50:04.760 Well, I got my shot today.

00:50:11.420 I respect everyone's decision.

00:50:13.360 I really do.

00:50:14.380 But to mandate it is, um, sick and it's scary to me in many ways.

00:50:21.280 Um, but I have a job, a job that I love and frankly, a job that I need.

00:50:28.380 But again, I love it.

00:50:29.760 I just, um, I'm not surprised it got to this point, especially with Disney.

00:50:33.960 I mean, a global company like that, but I just, um, like it was actually emotional.

00:50:39.720 Like, so, and it's funny, everybody else has their, yay, look, and here's my card.

00:50:43.900 And let's like, you know what, you want to see what my face looked like when I had to

00:50:47.520 do it.

00:50:48.260 Um, so I get it to an extent that I think the mandate is what I really have an issue with.

00:50:52.740 And, and I, I, I don't know, I don't know what comes next.

00:50:57.120 Um, but I do know for me personally, I feel, I feel like defeated.

00:51:03.640 So well said.

00:51:07.300 And now, especially that people are being more honest about the downsides of the vaccines

00:51:11.700 and the number of people who have been vaccine injured and the inefficiency and, you know,

00:51:16.980 the ineffectiveness of the vaccines in so many other ways.

00:51:20.240 It's, I mean, it's like, it's just indisputable that you had every right to object.

00:51:25.280 And yet you did not get the phone call from anybody at ESPN saying, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

00:51:31.420 You know, I, I heard you and it was, it was to the contrary.

00:51:35.340 Um, that day, and I, I haven't watched that in a long time because obviously there's been

00:51:40.140 so much, um, ugliness that has come from that podcast as a whole.

00:51:46.620 And those comment that my comments, and by the way, I own everything, every single thing

00:51:52.440 I said, I would say it again today and I still believe it.

00:51:55.820 So I don't want to separate myself from that.

00:51:58.000 Um, but that day, like I literally, Megan had just come from the stupid grocery store

00:52:04.940 pharmacy to get the shot.

00:52:06.700 That's why the bandaid, like I've been asked a couple of times, even recently, is that a

00:52:10.860 prop to, to stir the pot and to get them to ask you about that?

00:52:14.220 I was like, no, I literally was late getting the shot because I sat in my car crying saying,

00:52:19.680 I cannot believe I'm going to go against what I believe is right.

00:52:22.560 And my morals and values and what I, what I believe being forced with my body to keep my

00:52:27.800 job, but I knew I had no choice.

00:52:30.880 I, um, I'm a mother of three.

00:52:34.160 I'm a single mother of three.

00:52:36.400 Their father is, is here and he's a wonderful father, but I'm a hundred percent the breadwinner.

00:52:42.060 And I knew that I, I had no choice.

00:52:45.060 And I sat in that car and I, I was disgusted with myself for caving.

00:52:51.140 See, I get emotional again.

00:52:52.680 It's so stupid.

00:52:53.900 Um, I went in the grocery store and I sat down and the nurse looked at me.

00:52:57.800 She's like, are you okay?

00:52:59.320 Cause I'm like crying.

00:53:01.220 And I said, no, I'm not.

00:53:04.020 Okay.

00:53:04.820 I'm being forced to do this.

00:53:06.360 And I don't believe it's right.

00:53:08.180 Not yet.

00:53:09.080 Give it a year.

00:53:09.980 See what more they learn.

00:53:11.520 This is still experimental.

00:53:13.700 Like just give me time before I have to put this in my body.

00:53:16.500 Um, and the nurse looked at me and grabbed my hand and said, this is so wrong.

00:53:23.960 And I'm sorry.

00:53:25.820 Wow.

00:53:26.800 And, um, she gave me a squeegee ball to, you know, clench my fist to get a good vein and

00:53:34.220 whatever.

00:53:35.340 Like, I don't even remember.

00:53:36.900 I don't, maybe it wasn't for a vein.

00:53:38.160 Maybe it was here.

00:53:38.940 I don't know.

00:53:39.400 I was, it's all a blur and I'll never forget that moment.

00:53:43.540 And Megan, I changed at that moment when that shot went here.

00:53:50.500 Um, so no, I didn't leave the bandaid on for a prop.

00:53:53.460 I forgot it was there.

00:53:55.500 And I just literally sprinted in and set up this laptop in my bedroom upstairs and turn

00:54:01.060 on zoom.

00:54:01.760 And we did it.

00:54:02.540 That's all it was.

00:54:03.380 It wasn't intentional, but I was obviously emotional.

00:54:05.540 And I'll say this too.

00:54:06.580 That morning I had been praying about it and I asked God for a sign.

00:54:10.440 Like, should I do this or should I take a chance and walk away?

00:54:14.640 Will I have another job?

00:54:15.400 Will I be able to, to, to keep a roof over the head of my children?

00:54:20.200 And I said, just give me a sign.

00:54:21.880 And I was in the shower.

00:54:23.320 And I opened my eyes and I looked out and there's, there's, there's this tile that a

00:54:27.280 marble tile that I had seen a million times for a million showers I've taken.

00:54:30.300 And for some reason, when I opened my eyes at that moment, the marble was in the form

00:54:34.640 of an angel.

00:54:37.260 And I just said, Oh my, I'd asked for a sign.

00:54:42.040 And to me, that sign was, you're going to be okay.

00:54:45.540 I got you.

00:54:46.620 And I have a strong faith.

00:54:48.540 And for me at that moment, that's what I needed.

00:54:50.200 And I drove to the grocery store and I got the shot and I sprinted home and I went on

00:54:54.640 the podcast and the rest is history.

00:54:56.800 And honestly, it could have been so much more vicious if you really wanted to unload on

00:55:03.420 them.

00:55:03.800 Oh, I held back.

00:55:05.440 Did you see me look to the side at one point?

00:55:07.400 I was like, breathe deeply.

00:55:09.460 Don't say it.

00:55:10.500 And because I have a right to my opinion because I complied.

00:55:15.940 I complied.

00:55:17.040 I got it.

00:55:17.660 I got the booster in order to go to the masters a couple months later.

00:55:20.320 Like I did everything.

00:55:22.600 Um, I, but I'm allowed to have an opinion.

00:55:24.980 I thought, why aren't you allowed to say like, that's the, exactly the thing you did

00:55:29.740 what they asked you to do, but there's, there's no written rule that you then can't say I object

00:55:34.600 to it.

00:55:35.140 I don't like what I'm being made to do.

00:55:37.280 And yet they tried to silence you.

00:55:39.200 They were very upset.

00:55:40.640 I'm going to get to the whole backlash, but I just want to play the third soundbite to set

00:55:44.600 it up for the audience.

00:55:45.480 Um, and it was a comment about race.

00:55:48.360 So we've already set up your background.

00:55:50.660 People know about Barack Obama's background.

00:55:52.460 And here's what you said in Sato.

00:55:56.360 I used to do a couple, um, fill-ins on the view and I guess this was even before this

00:56:03.460 is when Obama was still president and Barbara Walters like ripped me live TV.

00:56:10.120 And then afterwards too, um, because they were wondering, they're like, why is it so important

00:56:14.400 to you to say that you're biracial?

00:56:16.800 I'm like, I, cause my mom's white, she's Irish, Italian, and my dad's black.

00:56:20.360 And I, I'm like, why, why not?

00:56:23.220 Like, I actually feel like I have the best of both worlds and I think it's a huge blessing

00:56:27.820 and I'm, why not?

00:56:30.280 And, and she's like, well, what happens when you, uh, when you fill out your census?

00:56:34.100 I'm like, well, I don't know when the last time I filled out my census was, but if they

00:56:38.080 make you choose a race, she's like, what are you going to put?

00:56:41.260 I go, well, both, she's like, well, you can't, she goes, well, what about Barack Obama chose

00:56:45.340 black and he's biracial.

00:56:46.320 I'm like, well, congratulations to the president.

00:56:49.200 That's his thing.

00:56:50.300 I go, I think that's fascinating considering, considering his black dad was nowhere to be

00:56:54.680 found, but his white mom and grandma raised him.

00:56:56.760 But hey, you do you, I'm going to do me.

00:57:00.100 That is honest.

00:57:01.820 It's totally reasonable.

00:57:04.080 And it's your point of view.

00:57:06.400 Normally, normally, you know, especially for a biracial woman who had made it in a man's

00:57:13.020 industry, the left would be celebrating you for speaking so openly and taking it.

00:57:18.620 But no, you said the wrong thing.

00:57:20.240 You see, you're entitled to an opinion just so long as it aligns with their views on race.

00:57:25.800 That's the problem.

00:57:27.060 Even you as a biracial woman can get slammed, can get criticized, can be called all sorts

00:57:33.000 of terrible things because your views on race only count if they align with theirs.

00:57:39.460 Somebody was it?

00:57:40.760 Was it?

00:57:41.300 Wait a minute.

00:57:41.780 Somebody online was calling you Clarence Thomas.

00:57:45.320 I'm like, OK, that's a compliment.

00:57:48.560 So I think so.

00:57:50.640 Right.

00:57:50.980 If you're trying to insult her, you should try harder.

00:57:53.420 But that's because it happens to him, too.

00:57:55.240 Right.

00:57:55.380 Like the views your skin color doesn't count unless you say all the things that the left

00:58:00.460 wants you to be saying about something as dicey as race.

00:58:03.660 Barack Obama wrote a book about his black father not being there.

00:58:09.840 This was not breaking news to me.

00:58:12.840 It goes back first.

00:58:14.800 Can I thank you, Megan, because of the thousands of times that that that the controversial clip

00:58:20.400 of Obama, that comment by me has run.

00:58:23.940 You are the first person who has ever played the entire thing with the context, which happens

00:58:30.020 to matter, about the view.

00:58:32.240 This would never have come up.

00:58:34.180 Barbara Walters, Sherry Shepard, Whoopi Goldberg, Jenny McCarthy and Sherry and Jenny were great.

00:58:40.300 Whoopi ended up being quite nice about it after, which is a story in the book when Barbara

00:58:44.380 Walters tried to tackle me in the green room.

00:58:46.040 But it's fine.

00:58:47.560 Barbara Walters is the one that went nuts and asked me about it live on TV.

00:58:53.860 This is in 2014.

00:58:55.200 I said almost the exact same thing in 2014 live on ABC, which happens to be owned also

00:59:00.140 by Disney.

00:59:01.360 But seven years later, what I said apparently is not OK.

00:59:05.680 And granted, it's a year and a half after George Floyd.

00:59:09.220 Times had changed, but the facts remain the same.

00:59:12.640 So once again, and I've said this a million times, this is kind of like my attempt at levity,

00:59:19.500 but I'm pretty sure that my white mom was there when I was born.

00:59:24.500 So you're damn right I'm going to identify as white as well as black.

00:59:28.420 I am so blessed to be loved equally by my white family as well as my black family.

00:59:36.960 And if anything, you know, people talk about how much I hate myself and I must hate my black

00:59:43.020 father and my black family.

00:59:44.660 And I'm and I'm racist and I'm a sellout and I'm a coon and I'm all the most negative words

00:59:50.000 that you can think of, which is amazing because most of the hatred comes from people who look

00:59:55.660 like me.

01:00:02.980 It's OK because it's been my whole life, which is why this is so sensitive.

01:00:08.260 But I refuse to be quiet about this anymore.

01:00:12.760 And by the way, no matter what I said, I have that right to feel the way I feel based on my

01:00:20.600 experience.

01:00:21.400 I'm not talking about statistics and I'm not doing the highlights on SportsCenter and

01:00:28.140 I'm and I'm oh, my gosh, I got the stat wrong.

01:00:30.540 I pronounced his name wrong.

01:00:32.760 Get called in the boss's office or get an email because, you know, you factually said

01:00:37.680 something incorrect.

01:00:39.320 This is my story.

01:00:40.800 I can feel how I want about my upbringing and I am so proud of my family and to tell

01:00:50.560 me that it's not OK to have that opinion is wrong.

01:00:55.560 And the thing is, whenever I have talked about being biracial and it has been controversial

01:01:00.880 and other times not to this level, I've had people wait in line for an hour.

01:01:05.760 Young biracial kids say thank you because I get forced to choose.

01:01:11.060 And it's interesting because you're only pushed to choose one side.

01:01:16.440 If I had said I'm a black woman, don't call me biracial, I would have been celebrated.

01:01:22.420 But because I chose to honor my mother as well.

01:01:25.740 Um, so the good thing is I don't care anymore because this is my experience and if I allow

01:01:36.540 others to continue to take things away from me, then that's on me and I refuse.

01:01:43.800 Um, so I obviously it's an emotional topic because I'm, um, you get tired of feeling like

01:01:51.980 you're not enough.

01:01:53.880 Um, and I was celebrated.

01:01:56.000 I was, oh my gosh, look at that girl.

01:01:58.520 Do you know how many people, thousands of people through the years have come up and said,

01:02:02.640 wow, you left your hair curly.

01:02:05.000 You owned your curls.

01:02:06.720 Most women with curly hair, white or black are told to straighten it and have like the

01:02:11.900 anchor bob going and look like a tradition.

01:02:13.660 I have had people at ESPN bosses not only tell me to stop wearing heels because I'm too

01:02:17.880 tall next to the short guys on TV, but to straighten my hair.

01:02:21.120 And wow, you look so good and so different.

01:02:23.360 I don't know how to straighten it.

01:02:24.760 It takes hours.

01:02:25.480 I don't have time.

01:02:26.220 I have three kids.

01:02:26.880 And oh, by the way, this is how God gave me, excuse me.

01:02:29.880 This is how God made me.

01:02:30.980 I'm okay being me finally.

01:02:34.580 So, um, I'm allowed to have an opinion.

01:02:37.360 I'm allowed to have an opinion about women because I am one and I've been there and I've

01:02:41.460 been through discrimination and every aspect of being a woman in a, in a locker room,

01:02:45.320 um, with coaches and coworkers and bosses who are misogynist.

01:02:50.580 And I've pushed through it.

01:02:51.640 I've been there.

01:02:52.360 I'm allowed to have an opinion on a vaccine mandate that I disagreed with, but did anyway.

01:02:57.080 And I'm allowed to have an opinion on being a proud biracial woman who is so proud of every

01:03:03.240 aspect of, of, of my entire family and my faults, my weaknesses and my good spots to what I, what

01:03:12.520 makes me a good human being.

01:03:13.820 So, um, I'm allowed to feel the way I'm allowed to feel.

01:03:18.980 And when you try to silence me, I'm done.

01:03:23.440 I I'm done.

01:03:24.960 If not for me or so many other people who have been silenced because they're a little bit

01:03:31.820 different and don't fit in with the social norm that that is divisiveness, that is ugliness.

01:03:39.000 And that is not what America is supposed to be.

01:03:41.700 As I listen to you, I I'm thinking about Glenn Lowry who came on the show early on.

01:03:48.000 It was very close to the George Floyd thing after we launched, when we launched.

01:03:51.060 And I asked him, what is the solution to, you know, these divisive messages that are dominating

01:03:59.200 the news these days?

01:04:00.420 And he said, honestly, we need more biracial marriages and biracial children.

01:04:06.760 That's the solution.

01:04:08.100 You know, in the same way that I think the solution to like the Me Too problem is mothers

01:04:13.260 of both boys and girls who, who, you know, want due process for the accused, but also

01:04:18.580 don't want their girls harassed or hurt.

01:04:21.400 And so I look at you and I say, oh, she's the solution.

01:04:24.420 Like she, she, this person is one of the few chosen who can get us through this mess, who

01:04:30.940 can, who's got like this unique perspective who we should really be listening to.

01:04:35.520 But unfortunately, that's not how these others feel like the people who dominate our media

01:04:40.980 circles, who dominate social media, who have been driving the narrative on this race debate.

01:04:46.620 As you point out, you know, you can only say, no, I'm black.

01:04:49.720 That that's fine.

01:04:50.460 Can you imagine if you, they would have been fine if you said I'm black.

01:04:52.800 Can you imagine if you said I'm white?

01:04:54.220 They would.

01:04:55.740 Because I'm exactly 50% of each.

01:04:59.240 Look at the pictures that you've been showing on the screen for the last several minutes.

01:05:02.800 Like I would have been completely celebrated.

01:05:05.760 I would still be the it girl, which has never had anything I dreamt of being, you know,

01:05:12.580 I would still be on the top shows.

01:05:14.620 I would have been celebrated.

01:05:15.460 I would have been, I would have been on all those race specials.

01:05:17.880 Wouldn't I have, I wouldn't, the ones I wouldn't have to be on.

01:05:20.760 I would have been there, but because I was true to who I am, what is in my blood.

01:05:28.920 Um, that's not okay.

01:05:31.320 And that's fine because you know what?

01:05:33.360 It's their loss.

01:05:34.940 And I am unafraid to now talk because I agree.

01:05:41.780 Like, I mean, that's what the military was, Megan.

01:05:44.140 It's just so, I always said it was the most diverse yet sheltered world because everybody,

01:05:49.400 there were so many interracial marriages and we took care of each other because we knew

01:05:53.020 what it was like to move across the world.

01:05:54.720 It was so beautiful.

01:05:55.640 And I didn't know about this hatred until I got out of that environment.

01:05:59.580 Um, so I, I feel like God has put me here for a reason.

01:06:04.260 Um, not just the way he made me, but here and here now, um, to get out there and have

01:06:12.180 this conversation and to call it the hypocrisy because that is what it is.

01:06:16.720 And until someone has the courage to call it out on a larger platform, this will continue.

01:06:23.280 And frankly, there's so many people who are afraid to, to, to speak up and even ask questions

01:06:27.560 of people of color because they're going to be deemed a racist and, and, and that we're

01:06:31.000 going backwards.

01:06:32.140 It feels like my mother and father's, it feels like when, when they were getting married and

01:06:36.020 fighting and to, to, to be relevant with their own families in 1970 to 71, this is pathetic

01:06:41.540 and it's inexcusable and we have to stop.

01:06:43.800 And I'm just not, I want to be there.

01:06:45.780 I want to help because I don't want anyone to ever feel the way that I felt despite being

01:06:50.700 at the top of my profession.

01:06:51.860 Um, it's time.

01:06:53.980 And I just, I want to have people talk and own it.

01:06:57.600 You can't have it both ways.

01:06:59.180 You can't preach diversity and equity and inclusion and tolerance and then cut people

01:07:04.220 off because they don't believe the way that you say they're supposed to believe because

01:07:07.540 of color of their skin or their gender.

01:07:09.080 It is wrong.

01:07:09.960 And I'm done.

01:07:11.080 Done.

01:07:11.920 So done.

01:07:12.900 I'm done with you.

01:07:14.600 I, so here's where we get to the truly infuriating part.

01:07:17.740 There was backlash from, you know, these morons online, of course, as we've discussed, but

01:07:22.680 the company, the company did the wrong thing and started to retaliate against you.

01:07:31.760 And before we get to exactly what they did and we've got some of it on tape, um, I just

01:07:36.760 need, I have to remind the audience, this is ESPN.

01:07:40.620 They're one of the wokest, most vocal news organizations when it comes to political viewpoints

01:07:46.580 of any of them.

01:07:48.840 It's fine to speak out on dicey political or cultural issues at ESPN.

01:07:56.060 If you're not named Sage Steele, somebody who is obviously more fair and balanced in

01:08:01.480 her approach to these issues, that's fine.

01:08:04.080 And we pulled just a couple of examples just to remind people it was happening all around

01:08:08.420 you.

01:08:09.140 Anybody could have excused you for not understanding that apparently you're not, you're not allowed

01:08:15.380 to, to speak out.

01:08:16.700 I'll just go through a couple.

01:08:18.020 All right.

01:08:18.260 So this is 2017.

01:08:20.220 Here's Jamel Hill and her tweet about then president Donald Trump.

01:08:25.780 Later, she would get suspended because she piled on after this tweet and said a bunch of things.

01:08:31.280 But here's just one example of Jamel Hill, who was at CNN.

01:08:34.620 Can we put it on the board so I can see it?

01:08:36.020 Cause I don't actually have it in front of me.

01:08:37.300 Um, where she says Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself

01:08:42.420 with other white supremacists.

01:08:45.360 Uh, and then she goes on, right?

01:08:47.200 He, he loves black people so much that he pandered to racists by using a flag that unquestionably

01:08:52.560 stands for dehumanizing black people.

01:08:54.240 You can go on and on and on.

01:08:55.540 He's the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime.

01:08:58.280 His rise is a direct result of white supremacy, period.

01:09:01.680 Um, okay, no problem too.

01:09:05.340 It wasn't until two weeks later when she said something else that ESPN gave her some mild

01:09:08.960 suspension.

01:09:09.800 Um, flash forward to George Floyd after George Floyd died in, in May of 2020, the number of

01:09:17.060 people who went on the air at ESPN and got political and took, you know, strong positions

01:09:23.120 on something as dicey as race.

01:09:25.060 I can't even count.

01:09:26.460 No problem.

01:09:27.480 They were celebrated.

01:09:28.560 We have a little montage of it.

01:09:29.980 Watch.

01:09:30.260 I almost didn't come to work tonight because some of the reaction to recent events reminded

01:09:35.360 me that there are several people watching me right now who feel that the color of my

01:09:39.600 skin makes me less worthy of basic human rights and dignity.

01:09:43.280 And the thought of providing those people with news and entertainment literally made me sick

01:09:48.180 to my stomach.

01:09:49.220 A lot of people are ticked off.

01:09:50.960 We should be.

01:09:52.100 Colin Kaepernick looks pretty good now, doesn't he?

01:09:54.840 Ali was vindicated by history.

01:09:56.940 And I think Kaepernick is being vindicated too.

01:09:59.860 We're talking about this in 2020.

01:10:02.180 It's just, it's unthinkable.

01:10:04.160 What I'm saying is, as an African-American citizen of this country, how many times is

01:10:11.060 enough?

01:10:11.700 I'm exhausted and I'm tired.

01:10:12.960 And the last bit of my patience went out of my body when I watched it go out of George

01:10:16.620 Floyd's.

01:10:17.160 That's not it.

01:10:19.680 That's not it.

01:10:20.320 Look at more recent examples after Ron DeSantis in Florida signs the parental rights bill protecting

01:10:27.580 parents and their right to opine on their children's education and keep them free from

01:10:31.380 sexual indoctrination and gender and orientation and all that.

01:10:35.680 Here is Laura Gentile.

01:10:37.680 No, sorry.

01:10:38.400 We'll get to her in a second.

01:10:39.160 Here is, do we have Al Duncan?

01:10:41.220 Yeah.

01:10:41.740 Here she is.

01:10:42.160 We understand the gravity of this legislation and also how it is affecting so many families

01:10:47.520 across this country.

01:10:48.960 And because of that, our allyship is going to take a front seat.

01:10:52.520 And with that, we're going to pause in solidarity.

01:10:54.820 Our LGBTQIA plus teammates at Disney asks for our solidarity and support, including our

01:11:03.880 company's support in opposition to the parental rights and education bill in the state of Florida

01:11:09.200 and similar legislation across the United States.

01:11:13.020 And a threat to any human rights is a threat to all human rights.

01:11:17.580 And at this time, Courtney and I, we're going to take a pause from our broadcast to show our

01:11:23.060 love and support.

01:11:25.660 Oh, my God.

01:11:27.620 All fine.

01:11:29.500 Not punished.

01:11:31.620 What Sage said in those three Jay Cutler soundbites, different story.

01:11:37.780 So how did the backlash manifest against you by the company?

01:11:41.260 Um, I feel like there's, there's, like, almost two different conversations there.

01:11:49.580 Um, I think the difference is quite obvious that I was on a podcast, not on ESPN Airwaves,

01:11:57.540 um, on a day off.

01:12:01.080 Um, to me, it was very different, um, compared to what you just played.

01:12:08.300 I, listen, all I ever wanted was consistency.

01:12:13.820 And if we are allowing my peers to go on social media, much less on our own airwaves, saying

01:12:24.780 things that are anything that have nothing to do with sports, um, that are political,

01:12:32.240 that are not true, quite often, because the parental rights bill in Florida is not what

01:12:39.520 many people claim that it is.

01:12:41.740 Most people apparently didn't take the time to read it.

01:12:44.700 Um, then I should be allowed on my personal time to give my opinion on my experiences personally,

01:12:53.060 without telling others what to do, um, or how to feel about being biracial or being forced

01:13:01.420 to take a vaccine.

01:13:02.900 And I think that's just what breaks my heart is that there were different rules for me

01:13:08.140 than everyone else.

01:13:10.980 Yeah, there certainly were.

01:13:13.020 Um, they started to take responsibilities away from you while at the same time forcing

01:13:19.240 you to apologize.

01:13:20.740 Um, the comment that you put out was as follows, quote, I know my recent comments created

01:13:26.360 controversy for the company.

01:13:27.840 And I apologize.

01:13:29.160 We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us.

01:13:32.820 And it's more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully.

01:13:38.000 So did they make you do that stage?

01:13:40.540 And how did that feel?

01:13:41.580 I did not want to apologize.

01:13:45.620 I fought and I fought and I begged and I screamed and I was told that if I want to keep

01:13:53.980 my job, I have to apologize and I need my job.

01:13:58.060 And I love my job, Megan.

01:14:00.360 I loved it.

01:14:01.300 Loved it.

01:14:02.940 Every moment on SportsCenter, the last two and a half years with my co-host, Matt Berry

01:14:06.760 and my producers, we had the best team.

01:14:11.560 So proud.

01:14:12.780 Um, I loved it, but I needed it as well.

01:14:16.520 And, um, they knew that they knew that.

01:14:19.520 So, um, I apologize.

01:14:20.980 And I think that I thought that that was going to be the end of it because that's what I was

01:14:24.120 told.

01:14:25.200 Um, but when it continued and there were events taken away, events I'd worked years to get.

01:14:31.580 Um, and I was just told, you know, Hey, you, uh, we need a little more time.

01:14:39.560 Um, you know, it's interesting.

01:14:42.380 I, I think in anything in life, quite often we say, all right, one more time and it's over

01:14:48.000 and I'm done.

01:14:48.640 Or, you know, to your kid, if, if, if, if you one more time, talk to me like that, then

01:14:52.580 you're grounded.

01:14:53.020 If you, I knew that there was a line somewhere.

01:14:56.580 I just didn't know what it was until it was cropped.

01:15:01.840 And when I lost the Rose Bride, um, which just was a big deal.

01:15:08.460 It was on ABC and it was, um, it's, it's iconic and it's special.

01:15:14.480 Um, that was, that was it.

01:15:18.860 Um, I just didn't know what I was going to do with that.

01:15:21.320 I knew that mentally I had checked out and was heartbroken again at the hypocrisy of the

01:15:26.520 rules, either the rules, the rule for everybody or nobody, but you can't pick and choose.

01:15:30.040 And especially if it's just one person, it's just me.

01:15:32.660 And then they let you hang out to dry because all the news media started to run with, she's

01:15:37.480 been suspended.

01:15:38.180 She's been suspended.

01:15:39.440 Meanwhile, no one told you, you were suspended, but they were happy to see you twist in the

01:15:43.920 wind.

01:15:44.460 Um, the, the, here's, let me see Yahoo Sage seal suspended from ESPN for her controversial

01:15:50.560 remarks regarding race COVID vaccine.

01:15:52.360 Um, ebony Sage steel suspended from ESPN after controversial remarks.

01:15:56.740 Here we go.

01:15:57.380 Clay Travis.

01:15:58.140 Uh, he, he was repeating another Fox news report, ESPN suspension of stage steel.

01:16:03.440 He called it absolute madness.

01:16:04.980 He had your back.

01:16:05.960 Um, and they loved to see all of it.

01:16:08.100 They, they were happy to see you twist.

01:16:10.020 And then now I'm going to get to the woman I referenced, Laura Gentile, ESPN executive vice

01:16:16.440 president of marketing at the opening remarks of ESPN women, October, 2021, which was an

01:16:22.720 event you were supposed to host, correct, but didn't correct.

01:16:26.700 Okay.

01:16:27.020 Yeah.

01:16:27.240 Because of this.

01:16:27.880 So they pull, start pulling responsibilities away from you.

01:16:31.620 They, they publicly embarrass you.

01:16:33.240 And then this woman gets up there in the spot where you're supposed to be hosting and

01:16:38.660 says the following spot for, we have, you know, a stalwart not with us this year, um,

01:16:46.000 in sage steel.

01:16:47.620 Um, you know, she, she kind of had a, you know, incident and, and kind of shared some

01:16:52.820 points of view, perhaps in a difficult way and an unprofessional way.

01:16:56.280 And so we, we kind of elected, um, for her to kind of sit this one out and she, you know,

01:17:02.020 she apologized to me.

01:17:03.080 She apologized to Rachel.

01:17:04.220 Um, but again, like you said, it's a family and she's been a part of the summit for 10

01:17:09.240 years.

01:17:09.780 She'll always be a friend of mine.

01:17:11.280 And so, you know, you keep, keep marching on.

01:17:16.000 Some friend.

01:17:18.340 Look, I want to clarify one thing because because of the firestorm, um, I actually volunteered

01:17:23.860 to step away from the summit that year.

01:17:26.780 It was all in the middle of it.

01:17:28.680 I had been told that I was supposed to interview Halle Berry for the upcoming movie.

01:17:31.840 She was starring in and directing as well, I think.

01:17:34.840 Um, and then apparently Halle Berry's team said that they wouldn't come if I were there

01:17:38.520 and because of my comments about biracial.

01:17:41.940 And so I realized that my comments, even though, though I, I still stood by them, obviously,

01:17:48.180 um, that if it were affecting my friends there, that I wanted to step away.

01:17:51.880 So I stepped away from that.

01:17:54.500 That's what I can say at that moment, a respectful, respectable company would have said, don't be

01:18:00.500 ridiculous.

01:18:01.400 Then Halle Berry isn't coming.

01:18:03.780 We stand by you, our loyal employee who's been with us for years now.

01:18:09.040 And you're more important to us.

01:18:10.980 That's, that's the right thing to do.

01:18:13.780 And can I, I can relate to this.

01:18:16.800 I guess I never even thought of that, Megan.

01:18:18.760 You're right.

01:18:19.360 But I think I was, I was just trying to let them know that, listen, I was just trying to

01:18:25.140 be myself.

01:18:26.100 Everyone else is allowed to.

01:18:27.000 I was just being me.

01:18:27.960 But if it affects my friends, because I was there from the very first day of ESPNW on the

01:18:32.360 stage hosting, it's a two and a half, three day summit.

01:18:34.900 They had my face on the hotel room keys every year.

01:18:37.400 I loved it because it was about uplifting women and bringing us to prominence and fighting

01:18:42.380 to put more WNBA highlights on SportsCenter.

01:18:44.700 I fought with my producers about that.

01:18:46.840 And so I just didn't want my friends there that we'd worked so hard to make this event

01:18:51.960 great to be suffering because of my word.

01:18:54.740 So I stepped away.

01:18:55.940 So when she said, when Laura, who was my friend, said that, I was like, oh, wait, you're saying

01:19:01.960 you elected to have me sit this out?

01:19:04.680 Oh, I thought I stepped away.

01:19:06.740 Which I was embarrassed, but you just announced to the world that it was your decision to

01:19:11.080 basically kick me off it.

01:19:12.940 The irony of it, that it's a women's summit that is uplifting women.

01:19:19.420 And for years, I was on that stage saying, hey, let's, we have to have our voices.

01:19:24.420 We are equal to men and it's okay to be diverse.

01:19:27.820 And as a woman, you stand tall and you be you.

01:19:30.680 And all of a sudden the women's summit said, we don't want you because you're not the right

01:19:36.160 not that version of you, but a different version of you, preferably.

01:19:39.600 Right.

01:19:40.020 No, the irony is absolutely apparent.

01:19:42.100 It's rich and it's gross.

01:19:43.540 It's it makes my skin crawl.

01:19:45.580 So but at this point, and we've talked about this, you know, you and I've talked about it

01:19:49.540 privately and we've talked about on the air that there is an extra level of pressure on

01:19:54.760 you when you are the wage earner for your family.

01:19:57.540 And, you know, it's not that you would have been on the streets if you had lost your job,

01:20:02.840 but a lot of things would have changed dramatically in your life and in your children's life.

01:20:08.620 And especially you going through a divorce, it's like you want as much stability for your

01:20:13.040 children as possible.

01:20:14.400 You want to disrupt as little as possible.

01:20:17.260 And they knew all that and they knew your dad was sick and they didn't give a damn.

01:20:21.480 They didn't give a damn about you or what any of this was doing to you.

01:20:24.820 That's why they're so disgusting out there trying to care like they act like they care

01:20:30.000 all about parents.

01:20:31.480 How about this parent who's been loyal to your company for a decade now as you throw her

01:20:35.640 under the bus and then back over her multiple times?

01:20:38.220 They're disgusting.

01:20:39.240 I'm sorry, but Disney's gross.

01:20:41.240 And but but most of us, even at this point, would have said, I've got to keep my mouth

01:20:44.820 shut the same way I got the needle in the arm.

01:20:46.720 I got to keep my mouth shut because it's my job.

01:20:49.280 It's my career.

01:20:50.000 It's my kids.

01:20:50.660 It's my home.

01:20:51.600 It's everything I've worked for.

01:20:52.900 That's truly in the balance right now.

01:20:55.980 And you.

01:20:58.400 Picked up the phone and called Brian Friedman, who we both love.

01:21:06.120 He was my lawyer who took on NBC.

01:21:09.480 He was your lawyer who took on ESPN.

01:21:12.080 And can I just say we've talked about this, but the thing about Brian Friedman, yes, he

01:21:15.740 knows how to fight.

01:21:16.560 He's brilliant.

01:21:17.300 He's not afraid of these companies.

01:21:18.680 That's why everybody now is trying to hire him.

01:21:20.480 But the thing about Brian that people don't know is privately, like his ability to remind

01:21:27.280 you that you're great and you're not the problem.

01:21:33.080 And, you know, you've been treated wrongly.

01:21:35.500 Right.

01:21:35.720 Like, because I think our instincts, anybody who's a professional who's made it in their

01:21:39.700 industry, your instinct is to blame yourself.

01:21:41.640 Your instinct is to say, like, I guess I screwed up.

01:21:44.120 Everybody's telling me I'm terrible.

01:21:45.760 Maybe I'm really terrible.

01:21:47.080 And and I know he had the heart to heart with you.

01:21:51.000 Like, it's not you, Sage.

01:21:54.000 It's not you.

01:21:55.000 It's them.

01:21:55.620 It's them and began the fight to get us to where we are now.

01:22:01.040 Brian Friedman saved me because he did exactly what you described.

01:22:06.540 And Megan, I've never talked to an attorney really in my life.

01:22:10.080 I didn't even use an attorney for my divorce.

01:22:11.920 My God, like I'm the least litigious person like I.

01:22:15.820 You know who called me and said, you have to call Brian.

01:22:19.660 Chris Harrison.

01:22:20.800 Chris Harrison.

01:22:21.700 Yeah.

01:22:22.140 Yeah.

01:22:22.400 You had co-hosted.

01:22:25.620 Yeah, he was canceled for totally benign comments.

01:22:29.660 Exactly.

01:22:30.400 Yeah, he was my co-hosted Miss America together twice.

01:22:33.220 And we did a crazy special at a valpano in Nicaragua on ABC.

01:22:36.940 And and then he was canceled in the most disgusting way.

01:22:41.780 And he called me to tell me about an article that had come out and something that someone

01:22:45.840 had said about me that he had worked with on The Bachelor.

01:22:48.380 And I.

01:22:49.940 For some reason, that article broke me.

01:22:52.720 And he just he's like, listen to me.

01:22:57.820 You need to call Brian Friedman.

01:23:00.600 He'll have your back at least at least try.

01:23:03.400 And I'm like, I'm not calling a lawyer.

01:23:04.840 I'm just going to again.

01:23:06.060 You get quiet and you go away and you try to fix it.

01:23:08.740 And he texted Brian when we were on the phone.

01:23:11.300 And five minutes later, I got a call from Brian Friedman, the busiest attorney probably

01:23:16.720 in America over the last couple of years.

01:23:18.860 And he just listened for an hour as I was sobbing like a crazy person.

01:23:24.700 And he's like, I am so sorry you've been through this.

01:23:30.360 We need to talk further.

01:23:32.120 And we did.

01:23:33.420 Now, there's that's that.

01:23:34.480 But then it's another thing to actually pull the trigger.

01:23:36.340 Right.

01:23:36.800 And and file a lawsuit.

01:23:38.960 And it was so, so, so scary, Megan.

01:23:43.700 And I so you're your boss.

01:23:45.840 But that.

01:23:46.700 Yeah.

01:23:47.020 I mean, again, I'm going back to that 11 year old girl who had this dream.

01:23:52.420 And then how many kids get to see their actual dream realized?

01:23:57.740 And the world gets to see it, too.

01:23:59.800 Like, how does it get to this point where I am living that dream?

01:24:05.060 And then the dream kind of changes and it doesn't always feel dreamy.

01:24:08.240 And it's this now.

01:24:10.860 And I have to make a decision to stand up for myself legally in a legal fashion or just go

01:24:17.300 quiet and beg them to forgive me and hope I get one more contract, which I knew that they

01:24:22.320 weren't going to forgive me at that point.

01:24:24.620 But it wasn't about that.

01:24:25.760 It was more about other people.

01:24:28.200 And I knew that it was like, I don't know, maybe over for me.

01:24:32.640 But if I don't send a message about being silenced.

01:24:36.140 Then I'm going to have to shut up for the rest of my life.

01:24:39.780 Then it's on me.

01:24:40.820 And then, like, get over it.

01:24:41.740 You cannot complain about something, but then be silent, in my opinion.

01:24:46.160 Now, listen, talk to me 10 years ago and I would have been under this table.

01:24:49.920 I'm a different person now.

01:24:50.940 And I'm grateful for how I have changed through a ton of adversity.

01:24:56.960 But, Brian, no one forced me to do this, to fight back.

01:25:00.580 I will tell you, I talk to my kids.

01:25:02.200 And they've seen a lot of the things through the years and they experienced some of the

01:25:07.180 hate.

01:25:08.020 And when people online go after your kids and find their social media and threaten to rape

01:25:14.040 them and death threats, look at them.

01:25:20.280 That was at the Post Malone concert here in Hartford a couple of weeks ago.

01:25:23.100 I'm a postie.

01:25:23.680 I love Post Malone.

01:25:24.620 We had so much fun.

01:25:25.480 But, like, that's my why, right?

01:25:28.740 Because if I'm telling them to stand tall and to be strong and I wither away out of fear

01:25:34.680 of not having a paycheck, then I'm a freaking hypocrite, you know?

01:25:39.140 I had to make a decision.

01:25:41.860 I knew it would be life altering.

01:25:43.380 I thought I could, you know, maybe fix it and maybe we could talk things out.

01:25:49.000 But, you know, when I told my kids and then I'll shut up, I know I'm rambling, I went

01:25:55.020 to, my oldest daughter was at school, at college already.

01:25:57.780 I called her and she's like, okay, what are you doing?

01:26:01.180 And I'm like, well, it's going to come down tomorrow.

01:26:03.120 And I talked to my youngest daughter.

01:26:05.400 She's one that's now 17.

01:26:06.540 And then I talked to my son.

01:26:08.180 My son's in the middle of his two awesome, crazy, insane sisters.

01:26:12.400 And he always is quite observant.

01:26:15.020 He doesn't say too much.

01:26:16.240 And I went downstairs and I said, buddy, I got to talk to you.

01:26:19.000 I said, you know what's been going on?

01:26:20.360 And I need to tell you that tomorrow, um, there's going to be some news because I'm

01:26:25.780 filing a lawsuit about what happened and being silenced.

01:26:29.800 And I just need you to know, and I don't need you to defend me ever, ever, but I need

01:26:34.900 you to know what's coming potentially.

01:26:36.600 And my son stopped what he was doing.

01:26:38.600 And he looked at me and he said, it's about time you stood up for yourself, mom.

01:26:46.620 And I just knew that I was doing the right thing because my Nicholas doesn't say that

01:26:51.520 much, you know, and for him to say that.

01:26:53.980 And he looked me in the eye when he said it and he granted he's six, four, he looked down

01:26:56.980 at me, but I was like, okay, sometimes you think your kids just think you're annoying

01:27:02.200 and crazy, especially when you have a mom in the public eye.

01:27:04.300 And as your kids get older, you know, it's a thing, but he said, it's okay.

01:27:10.040 I want you to fight.

01:27:11.100 I want you to stand up for yourself.

01:27:12.740 And so I feel like my kids have pushed me to fight back, even though it's affected them.

01:27:19.200 And I worry because they don't always like my job because of this.

01:27:24.480 Sometimes they just want a normal mom who doesn't get, you know, in trouble for being

01:27:29.320 herself.

01:27:30.400 It's too late.

01:27:31.280 I can relate.

01:27:31.700 It's too late.

01:27:35.100 Sorry.

01:27:36.380 This is, uh, this is how you're, how God, the hand God dealt you.

01:27:40.940 And by the way, their life is really good.

01:27:42.640 And they know that with the blessings, there's other, another side to it.

01:27:46.600 And they need to know that that's how life is.

01:27:48.420 This is a blessing.

01:27:49.320 And there's another side.

01:27:50.200 And it's important to feel that too.

01:27:52.380 Yeah.

01:27:53.020 I wrote about this, I think in my book, but one time Doug and I were at an interview for

01:27:58.420 our son's application to one of these New York city snooty private schools.

01:28:03.100 And, um, I, I was just like a bull in a China shop.

01:28:07.000 You know, I was just saying the wrong thing.

01:28:08.200 And then, then, then two wrong things and then three wrong things.

01:28:10.560 And it was just, I just kept bucking and breaking China.

01:28:13.060 And, uh, we're walking out and, uh, Doug's like, honey, what went on in there?

01:28:19.120 And I was like, you know, I gotta be me.

01:28:21.660 And he goes, Hey, you think you could be like 90% of you sometime?

01:28:26.080 Like, Hey, but no, you got the full hundred, hundred percent.

01:28:30.500 Enjoy.

01:28:30.860 You're welcome.

01:28:32.360 You're welcome.

01:28:33.680 All right.

01:28:34.160 Standby.

01:28:34.680 Standby.

01:28:35.040 We're going to squeeze in our last break and we will come back with Sage Steele straight ahead.

01:28:39.780 So I don't want to skip past what this does to you.

01:28:46.920 You know, when all of your colleagues, because your colleagues piled on too.

01:28:50.960 I mean, we have to go through them all, but they piled on there.

01:28:53.500 There weren't a bunch of people saying, I got your back.

01:28:55.680 Hello.

01:28:56.400 I can relate.

01:28:57.260 I can, I can relate.

01:28:58.780 Um, so your colleagues are piling on you.

01:29:00.900 The social media mob is piling on you.

01:29:05.000 Uh, and then your company, rather than having your back, tries to publicly embarrass you.

01:29:09.780 Um, and in the lawsuit, you alleged that the distress was severe enough.

01:29:15.540 It could result in illness or bodily harm.

01:29:18.840 I understand that.

01:29:20.600 So what, what did that mean?

01:29:22.800 And what were you going through?

01:29:24.620 The reason I wanted to talk to you is because I know you understand it.

01:29:28.720 And I hate that you understand it.

01:29:30.820 Um, I didn't know you.

01:29:34.200 I, I, I just witnessed what you went through.

01:29:36.900 Um, and it just broke my heart from a distance.

01:29:40.940 You know, I just don't understand where we are today and why.

01:29:45.300 Um, I think because there were so many of my friends or people that I thought were my friends

01:29:52.900 who were public about it, um, public about how they felt about my comments.

01:30:02.580 You have my cell phone.

01:30:04.200 We've hung out.

01:30:05.000 We've talked, we've worked together for years, just again, people are afraid to have a conversation.

01:30:12.520 And I just didn't understand that.

01:30:15.020 And, and, and by the way, you can, you can hate me now because of my decision to say that

01:30:21.400 I'm biracial versus black.

01:30:24.080 You can, or white, and by the way, if I'm referred to as black, I'm totally fine with

01:30:28.940 it.

01:30:29.120 I'm just saying if I'm, I mean, it's, it's, I love, I love who I am, but if, if, if I'm

01:30:33.020 being told to put in writing somewhere, then I'm going to say what I am.

01:30:37.700 And if you hate me because of that, then you have that right.

01:30:40.620 Um, if you hate me because of the other comments, you have that right.

01:30:44.420 And I respect that.

01:30:45.760 I just was devastated that it was allowed to happen in that way.

01:30:53.420 That my company allowed it to be public when they had not allowed that for other people

01:30:59.760 in the past, when other colleagues, other people had been criticized, we called it, you

01:31:03.160 know, ESPN on ESPN crime, there were repercussions.

01:31:07.200 So why were there none when it happened to me?

01:31:10.020 And I think I was mad, but more than anything, I was just devastated because I had been such

01:31:15.920 a good soldier, such a good employee for seven years and proud of it.

01:31:20.320 Right.

01:31:21.080 Um, so I just didn't understand that.

01:31:22.680 And that, that took a toll.

01:31:23.840 And then I was, I was scared to go back to work.

01:31:28.020 Megan, when I got off of my suspension, I was so scared because I thought I'd been made

01:31:34.860 to believe that everybody hated me.

01:31:37.380 Um, and to walk back in there and you don't just walk back into work.

01:31:42.880 Like you walk back on and you have to perform on live national television in front of millions

01:31:46.940 of people, I think that that's, so that's the distress part, right?

01:31:52.440 There, and there's a lot more to it that I won't bore you with now.

01:31:54.960 I think though, that that's what I'm most proud of Megan is that, um, I was able to compartmentalize

01:32:03.060 much better than I ever dreamt.

01:32:05.320 And to have this ongoing for 22 months from the beginning, from when I was first punished

01:32:12.860 to Monday.

01:32:14.820 Um, I went back in there and I stood tall and had great conversations with producers

01:32:24.520 and was passionate about every single interview, every single segment you can ask them.

01:32:28.540 Like, it's just what I have done my whole life.

01:32:31.900 Why am I going to stop?

01:32:32.760 Just because there's this other crap going on as wrong as it might be.

01:32:35.620 But I walked in there every day and I did it.

01:32:38.060 And I, and I hadn't thought of it.

01:32:39.620 And Brian Friedman's like, do you realize what you're doing and that you are suing your company?

01:32:45.780 One of the biggest companies in the planet while you're still on their airwaves.

01:32:49.700 And I was like, oh, you're right.

01:32:51.160 I mean, I, I just, I just go back to work because that's what you do.

01:32:55.060 And because I wanted to work and I love my job, but I was so scared to go back.

01:32:59.180 And I'll say this, my parents, again, saved their kid.

01:33:04.260 They came here when I was suspended, which I also then happened to get COVID really bad.

01:33:09.420 Ironically, three weeks after I got the vaccine that was so perfect to prevent me from getting

01:33:13.940 COVID.

01:33:14.600 It's great.

01:33:15.420 I was really sick and couldn't leave the house for eight days.

01:33:19.160 And I was alone.

01:33:20.460 My kids went to their dad's house because he couldn't be around me.

01:33:22.540 And I'd never been more.

01:33:23.200 It was the low point in my life for sure.

01:33:25.060 When I was suspended, I was attacked by everybody on the internet.

01:33:29.280 All of them, not all, too many of my peers at work couldn't see my kids and thought that

01:33:36.980 my whole life was over.

01:33:39.800 And my parents came to Connecticut.

01:33:42.420 They lived in Pennsylvania at the time.

01:33:44.160 And my dad with his cancer did not need to be around someone who was sick.

01:33:48.440 It was risky.

01:33:50.380 And he did it.

01:33:51.320 And my parents came and they lifted me off the ground.

01:33:53.680 And they were here when I went back to work that day.

01:33:55.720 And before I left the house, because I was shaking, my mom and dad pulled me aside.

01:34:03.160 And one of my best friends, Tiffany, who's my makeup artist, and so much more than that,

01:34:07.060 the best human I know.

01:34:08.740 My dad's like, huddle up, because he's a football player.

01:34:11.200 Till the day he dies, he's a football player.

01:34:12.920 Huddle up, guys.

01:34:13.540 And as I'm walking out the door, he's like, we're saying a prayer.

01:34:18.340 And it was St. Michael the Archangel.

01:34:21.240 And if you're Catholic, you know what that is.

01:34:22.540 We say it at the end of Mass.

01:34:23.580 And it's basically about protecting me from evil.

01:34:29.600 From the dead.

01:34:30.140 And I walked, yeah.

01:34:32.500 And look it up for those of you who haven't heard or said the prayer.

01:34:36.920 It's pretty powerful.

01:34:38.280 It is.

01:34:39.240 To protect you from bad and ugly.

01:34:42.640 And I believe evil is too much of a relevant word in our society right now.

01:34:48.600 And so we said our prayer.

01:34:50.820 And we hugged.

01:34:52.020 And I went to work.

01:34:53.320 And I went on the air.

01:34:54.440 And he texted me in the first commercial break.

01:34:56.400 He's like, that's my girl.

01:34:58.220 You got this.

01:34:58.940 And every single day from that moment on, which I believe was like October 18th, 2021,

01:35:05.240 until the last day I went on air recently, I called my parents as I pulled in to ESPN.

01:35:11.640 And we said the prayer together every single day for almost two years.

01:35:16.520 And so I knew that I would be okay.

01:35:19.560 I did feel protected by God, by my mommy and my daddy.

01:35:25.080 And at 50, I still needed my parents, right?

01:35:27.340 And my friends and so many people that I continued to hear from from around the world and even people at work who would pull me aside and whisper in the bathroom or in a corner,

01:35:39.760 making sure there were no microphones around and saying, thank you.

01:35:42.680 Thank you for standing up and for saying what I can't say.

01:35:47.060 Please don't go quiet.

01:35:49.760 Don't go silent again.

01:35:52.360 And so that's what pulled me through.

01:35:54.280 Those people, my very small circle of friends who I now know are real friends, my family and God.

01:36:01.100 We pulled up the prayer.

01:36:04.680 This is actually the second time I've read this prayer on the air because we had Father Mike on of the Bible in a year.

01:36:10.000 And I was telling him that we say it at my church in Connecticut.

01:36:13.220 And it goes as follows, St. Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle.

01:36:17.200 Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

01:36:20.300 May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.

01:36:22.320 And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

01:36:33.060 Amen.

01:36:33.340 That that's a great reminder of the stakes of the battle you were in.

01:36:39.740 And ultimately, Sage, you did win.

01:36:42.420 You were protected.

01:36:44.020 You said they settled the case this week.

01:36:46.420 They did not take it to trial.

01:36:48.400 They couldn't.

01:36:49.560 There is a special law in Connecticut.

01:36:51.800 Hello, Keith Olbermann, that gives employees the right to speak their minds while not in the workplace on their opinions and to not to have the right not to be fired.

01:37:03.340 And ESPN should know that since they're in Connecticut.

01:37:07.440 I have to pause and note the irony of Disney.

01:37:12.000 This is the company that you're doing battle with.

01:37:13.600 Disney, who right now is doing battle with Ron DeSantis in Florida, claiming it is wrong to have Ron DeSantis, the government, retaliate against a private company for exercising its free speech rights.

01:37:25.640 That it's wrong to retaliate against someone for exercising their free speech rights.

01:37:31.060 That's Disney's position.

01:37:32.560 In that lawsuit, in your lawsuit, it was a very different situation.

01:37:37.700 They were the ones doing the retaliating and they were less of the free speech champions.

01:37:42.560 They would have the rest of us believe they are, Sage.

01:37:45.100 I mean, this this is not a point that could have been lost on you.

01:37:48.340 No, not at all, especially as a part time resident of the state of Florida.

01:37:52.940 And I, you know, there was an article written in Variety that I was.

01:38:00.580 I was just so pleasantly surprised, I guess, that the writer is very well respected.

01:38:05.900 But I think I'm just surprised in general, because with the press and how it has worked with my situation since it all went down.

01:38:13.700 There's very few people who really go through all the facts and then write a story based on facts.

01:38:20.460 God forbid.

01:38:20.920 And that Variety article did just that and pointed out that hypocrisy.

01:38:25.340 And yeah, you know how you're an attorney.

01:38:28.420 You know, I can't say too much, but I it was not lost on me.

01:38:32.000 And again, I've just been I'm just sad because it didn't have to be this way.

01:38:38.800 You know, if we just have rules that are consistent, regardless of the person, regardless of their opinions or what they say, then we don't have an issue here.

01:38:49.180 It's well, that's why you're lucky you live in Connecticut.

01:38:51.500 That's why you look because Connecticut gives an additional layer of protection for employees saying that an employer may not fire or suspend or discipline an employee for exercising her free speech rights when it doesn't happen at the office.

01:39:04.500 Basically, when she's out on her own offering her opinion.

01:39:06.900 Thank God. Thank God you live in Connecticut.

01:39:09.780 And that's why that's one of the chief reasons why you were able to claim that this was being done to you very wrongfully.

01:39:17.340 All the states needed this.

01:39:18.700 There should be an extra layer, especially in today's cancel culture world of protection for people who want to speak their minds.

01:39:27.420 I have been in Connecticut since 2007.

01:39:30.460 This situation is the first time I've ever said, thank God I live in Connecticut.

01:39:33.620 Like, no offense, but I'm a wimp and I like warm weather and sunshine and lower taxes.

01:39:40.420 So that's why, hence Florida.

01:39:42.420 Here I come at some point, not in the very near future.

01:39:45.340 I still have one daughter as a senior in high school and she's the priority.

01:39:49.380 But I learned a lot.

01:39:51.320 I could never, even if I wanted to be an attorney, it could never have, it would have been a waste of everyone's time for me to try to go to law school.

01:39:57.960 So I thank God for people like you and Brian Friedman who understand all that stuff.

01:40:02.600 When I found out about that, it was certainly like, oh, okay.

01:40:07.380 I just, I just get tight almost thinking about having to make the decision in the first place.

01:40:15.460 But I do believe it's all for a reason, Megan.

01:40:18.880 And I know people are like, I don't know, people hate it when you say that.

01:40:21.720 But for me, I just, I haven't, I haven't questioned that much aside from the initial drama where it's like, wait, you're doing what?

01:40:30.520 You're kicking me off the air?

01:40:31.580 Like what?

01:40:32.000 I've just had to rely, like if we preach about having faith, like these are the ultimate tests.

01:40:41.460 And that is to continue to take that step forward, even though you might not know where that road's going to lead.

01:40:46.240 And I have no idea.

01:40:47.420 I didn't know where it was going to lead with the lawsuit.

01:40:49.960 I had no clue.

01:40:51.080 I don't know.

01:40:52.960 It's hard enough to find a TV job, nevermind as a 50 year old woman in television.

01:40:58.100 I mean, usually at this point in our lives, they're putting us out to pasture in this industry and right.

01:41:03.540 And they like that never to be seen again.

01:41:05.680 So that's not going to happen to you.

01:41:07.220 It didn't happen to me.

01:41:08.180 I will make sure it doesn't happen to you.

01:41:10.380 But that's I'm sure ESPN would love to see that.

01:41:13.140 They would love to see you exit stage left, never to be seen again.

01:41:16.880 And they would love for you to continue being silenced and not using your free speech rights.

01:41:21.480 So, I mean, how now that it's done, are you by the way, how are you able to talk about it?

01:41:27.540 Or do they not make you sign a non-disclosure, non-disparagement?

01:41:32.320 Yeah, I can't.

01:41:33.300 I can't.

01:41:33.880 I mean, I'm doing what I'm allowed to do, you know.

01:41:36.760 Okay.

01:41:37.940 But I'm saying as much as you're allowed.

01:41:40.580 Sure.

01:41:41.320 Yes.

01:41:43.180 They're not going to sue you.

01:41:44.300 Let's be real.

01:41:45.120 It's like good luck.

01:41:46.900 They don't want to do it.

01:41:47.740 Brian, my goodness.

01:41:50.800 Yeah.

01:41:51.000 I mean, he's a he's a very busy man these days.

01:41:54.040 Um, you know, I think I'll say this too.

01:41:56.940 I just I what I hope comes from it is, you know, maybe a smaller level, like, again, I

01:42:06.240 just wanted people to own the rules, you know, and like any form of parenting, if you're not

01:42:14.700 consistent with it, then your kids aren't going to comply.

01:42:18.040 Like, I really thought I was complying.

01:42:20.280 And apparently, um, that's what I ever hear.

01:42:23.420 Did you ever hear the saying what you permit you promote?

01:42:26.320 Yes.

01:42:26.860 You know, they permitted.

01:42:28.380 I'm just I'll just call out a couple.

01:42:30.400 Uh, fellow SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe to pile on you.

01:42:34.680 Uh, she retweeted a post from someone who said that they hopes ESPN would no longer use you to

01:42:39.160 cover women's sporting events.

01:42:40.220 And she retweeted it saying, amen, even if it gets me in trouble.

01:42:44.160 Amen.

01:42:45.020 Screw you, Nicole Briscoe.

01:42:46.360 Then there was Ryan Clark, uh, ESPN NFL analyst who refused to appear on the air with you because

01:42:52.420 of those comments to Jade Cutler asking ESPN to replace you with your co-host for the segment.

01:42:59.180 That was a bridge too far, even for ESPN.

01:43:01.580 And then the guy said, I'm not doing the show.

01:43:03.860 And ESPN did not impose any penalty on him whatsoever.

01:43:08.040 It's just fine.

01:43:09.020 Kick her when she's down.

01:43:10.180 Go for it.

01:43:11.300 Uh, it'll be fun.

01:43:12.280 So those people deserve to be called out, even though you say, as there was at Fox,

01:43:16.360 there's a pretty strong, no shooting inside the tent rule.

01:43:19.540 And if you do, it'll be called out and punished internally.

01:43:23.320 Exactly.

01:43:24.140 And then when I brought it up, it was like, oh, we'll, we'll, we'll take care of it.

01:43:27.340 And then, you know, that tweet remained on her account for months.

01:43:32.920 Um, so it's just, again, it's just about being consistent.

01:43:35.840 And I will say this too, I think one of the more disappointing, um, things in general with

01:43:40.320 anybody, um, is you can take a snippet from, you know, an 18 second clip that was being

01:43:48.500 circled around with, with in particular, the Obama comments, or you can take a headline

01:43:52.740 off of any website or any tweet.

01:43:56.200 And you can go with that and be like, oh my gosh, what did she say done cancel out?

01:44:01.960 Or you can actually listen and listen for the full context.

01:44:06.380 And like I said earlier, you're the first person to show the full context of the Obama

01:44:10.640 comments, because it was something that Barbara Walters brought up to me.

01:44:13.660 And there are, um, many people within the building, including decision makers at the highest levels

01:44:20.860 who admitted to me that they did not listen to the podcast.

01:44:27.560 And I think that drive their opinion that broke me too, because I'm like, just listen.

01:44:34.000 And then let's talk because you know, me as a person for, I, as I leave the company 16 and

01:44:42.080 a half years, I was there, but that may have been part of the problem that may have been

01:44:46.200 part of the problem stage, because I know the earlier you had spoken out about some of

01:44:50.700 the protests against the Anthem, you know, the kneeling and you didn't like it.

01:44:55.640 And of course, now we know why you didn't like it.

01:44:57.560 You're, you know, you're a loving patriotic American who's the daughter of a colonel in

01:45:02.740 the army and you didn't like the kneeling.

01:45:05.460 Neither did I, neither did half of America, but there was blowback on you back then.

01:45:10.640 So I, them knowing you may have been part of the problem, right?

01:45:14.120 Like they, you'd already declared yourself as, you know, not on board with their politics.

01:45:21.460 True, true.

01:45:22.520 But they knew it.

01:45:23.320 And again, though, I, it's the weight diversity, right?

01:45:27.040 To me, it begins and ends with diversity of thought.

01:45:30.600 And I don't want to hear you talking about any other kind of diversity in D and D E.

01:45:35.020 Now, corporately, it's D E I and new initials and plus signs, just like LGBTQIA plus XYZ.

01:45:41.880 I cannot keep up, but don't talk to me about the D E I stuff.

01:45:45.960 If you're not going to begin with diversity of thought, um, it's where it begins and ends.

01:45:49.440 So, um, I thought that's, well, it is a lie.

01:45:52.920 It's, it's corporate BS, um, and people just trying to cover their butt.

01:45:56.340 I actually believe that there's several people and millions of people throughout corporate

01:46:00.820 America and any industry who actually don't agree with this stuff, don't agree with what's

01:46:04.780 going on with, with, you know, the, the trans athletes right now, they don't agree with

01:46:08.960 it, but they're doing it out of fear.

01:46:11.400 And, um, again, I call BS on it.

01:46:15.080 Like if you are a true leader, lead, but that's one ESPN call any of that out.

01:46:21.080 Like the trans stuff, the guys participating in women's sports.

01:46:23.560 Does anybody at ESPN take a stand on that?

01:46:28.540 I have been saying since the, like the Leah Thomas thing came out last year, I was like,

01:46:34.740 we need to be doing this story.

01:46:36.160 We need to be doing this story.

01:46:37.180 We need to do the story.

01:46:37.980 This is a big deal.

01:46:38.520 This is a big deal.

01:46:39.820 And so listen, at some point, what I've really had to learn is to pick and choose my battles.

01:46:46.160 Obviously I've picked some big ones.

01:46:47.740 Okay.

01:46:48.260 But there's others where journalistically we are what we are.

01:46:53.560 And there's certain things that I know that we're not going to, um, report or, or maybe

01:47:01.000 report the way that I would want, which I, you know, I, I, both sides, like, I think that

01:47:06.180 that's crucial.

01:47:06.960 I don't care what the topic, I don't care if it's just post-game comments.

01:47:10.840 It's crazy about that.

01:47:11.400 Because like you, most of the people over there, as far as, and as you know, I only

01:47:15.700 like skim past ESPN on my way to like Bravo.

01:47:18.360 Um, but most of the guys over, it's like these big guys who are athletes and the NFL or the

01:47:25.660 NBA, they know damn well that men should not be participating in women's sports.

01:47:30.240 They know it.

01:47:31.120 They've got to be on our side.

01:47:32.660 Of course they know.

01:47:35.520 And especially because so many of them have children, have daughters who are in those

01:47:40.660 arenas, on those courts, on those fields.

01:47:43.660 And I know damn well, and I'm not going to name names, but they know who they are.

01:47:46.800 There's no way they would allow their daughters to be on a field with boys, especially as you

01:47:52.080 get older, as you're a teenager.

01:47:53.180 Are you kidding me?

01:47:54.060 And everyone, everyone knows it, but that's kind of the part that does make me rage a little

01:48:01.760 bit because again, all of these women who you played the clip earlier and, and, and standing

01:48:08.900 up for women and like the ESPNW stuff, all of it, all these women who are pushing us, but

01:48:16.260 then are silent with this issue.

01:48:19.240 This isn't even controversial.

01:48:20.780 This is stupid that it's even a topic with trans biological men trying to play sports

01:48:28.320 with women.

01:48:29.340 You talk about science.

01:48:30.840 Gosh, that's, I've gotten so sick of that science word over the last couple of years

01:48:33.860 with the pandemic.

01:48:34.500 And now we're going to ignore it.

01:48:36.140 I'm done.

01:48:36.940 Like it is a load of crap.

01:48:38.520 And, and, and honestly, I don't even talk about it as much now because it's just comical

01:48:42.600 to me and to anyone who asks and goes on and on about it.

01:48:46.240 I'm like, listen, if this were going both ways, we have a conversation.

01:48:49.460 The fact that it's only going one way is proof.

01:48:52.300 There are no women trying to go play in the NBA or the NFL or college football other aside

01:48:58.780 from a kicker here or there, which is beautiful to see.

01:49:01.700 That's a different position.

01:49:02.680 Football players to a crown and you're like, okay, there's football players and then there's

01:49:05.280 kickers.

01:49:05.900 And you know what?

01:49:06.340 I love seeing women out there doing that.

01:49:08.040 That is different from lacrosse, from anything.

01:49:11.640 And you know what?

01:49:12.240 Let's continue to celebrate us, not go backwards, which is exactly what we're doing.

01:49:16.460 I don't know why the entire media core sports media is silent about this.

01:49:22.760 And I knew exactly sports media, I think has a special obligation.

01:49:27.500 It's one thing for me as a news anchor speak out, but it's the sports anchors.

01:49:32.880 I've seen you and Sam Ponder over at ESPN on Twitter speaking out for women.

01:49:38.280 And that's all I've seen.

01:49:40.160 I haven't seen any of these other folks at ESPN say it's like, this is your lane.

01:49:45.100 And I respect Joe Rogan for saying, you know, because he's MMA, like he's big into the fighting

01:49:49.740 world.

01:49:50.360 And he's been saying, now you're in my lane.

01:49:53.020 Like now that you want a dude to come over and like fight against women, whatever.

01:49:56.700 Now you're in my lane and I'm going to speak out about it.

01:49:58.440 And that's how the ESPN anchor should see this too.

01:50:02.060 The fact that they're all silent disgusts me, especially because of how vocal they were

01:50:09.080 about, let's say the overturning of Roe versus Wade, right?

01:50:12.280 And women's rights.

01:50:13.520 And they were, I mean, hello, there were people on our airwaves talking about that.

01:50:18.220 This is, and this, this is just, this isn't even controversial.

01:50:21.860 This is science.

01:50:23.260 And from the beginning of time.

01:50:24.900 Abortion is not sports.

01:50:26.560 Thank you.

01:50:27.520 That's what I mean.

01:50:28.420 Like, there's just so much that doesn't make sense.

01:50:30.940 So, you know, again, I'll, I'll say this.

01:50:35.800 You know, I began speaking out about the trans thing probably, you know, on, on Twitter,

01:50:39.580 social media with the Riley Gaines thing.

01:50:41.400 And I've become friends with Riley and what a special, strong, brilliant young woman.

01:50:46.220 Like, wow.

01:50:47.100 Right.

01:50:47.380 I mean, what is she 23, 24?

01:50:49.960 Hello, me at 23, 24.

01:50:51.360 No, we can never be able to do it.

01:50:52.780 Um, but I knew that when I did it the first time I knew, I knew that, that it was going

01:50:57.460 to get ugly.

01:50:57.880 And I, but I was willing to die on that Hill.

01:50:59.860 I mean, hell, I'd already been canceled 64 times.

01:51:01.860 It's fine.

01:51:02.340 Right.

01:51:03.840 Because it matters.

01:51:05.340 My girls are older now.

01:51:07.020 They're not playing competitive sports in high school or college.

01:51:09.980 Um, but I have a, I have a 13 year old niece who's, who's in softball, um, and volleyball.

01:51:15.820 And you know all about volleyball and the stuff that's gone quite public about it.

01:51:19.400 I am not, she's in Baltimore.

01:51:21.060 I will walk my butt down there and go into school board meetings or whatever it is, all

01:51:25.680 the travel teams and coaches.

01:51:26.740 And if that is ever an issue and more importantly, her parents will.

01:51:29.480 Um, but I feel obligated with my platform, whatever that looks like right now, but as a

01:51:36.300 sportscaster for 28 years to talk about this openly and stop ignoring it.

01:51:40.840 I, so I knew it would be controversial.

01:51:42.820 Sam and I've been friends for years.

01:51:45.260 Um, you know, we talked before she decided to go public with it a couple months later too.

01:51:49.480 And she's brilliant, by the way, you would love her.

01:51:52.300 And she's so strong.

01:51:53.900 She's incredible.

01:51:54.960 She's literally brilliant and passionate and a strong woman of faith.

01:51:59.560 And, and just, she's incredible.

01:52:01.080 And we're, we're sad.

01:52:02.560 We're like, where is everybody, all these women that, that are supposed to be so supportive

01:52:05.440 of other women in this case?

01:52:07.060 Yes.

01:52:07.400 I, where's the cavalry?

01:52:09.400 Where are they?

01:52:10.240 Where are they?

01:52:10.560 The thing I'll say is I understand why people, listen, I am like a poster child for why people

01:52:16.120 stay silent.

01:52:17.200 And I get that fear.

01:52:19.000 But this is the one issue, one of very few, I guess, that are relevant today that I feel

01:52:25.780 like if we came together as women, just in the media, just sports broadcasters, female,

01:52:32.840 this would go away.

01:52:34.660 Like we are giving away our power with it.

01:52:37.340 And to me, I'm like, we are going to regret this.

01:52:39.960 All I know is, is, is I'm trying and Sam's trying and a couple of other people say you

01:52:44.860 did your part.

01:52:45.440 You will.

01:52:46.040 And these others won't.

01:52:47.360 And if she's a one, you have a daughter.

01:52:50.000 So my daughter is 12.

01:52:51.320 If she shows up at a soccer game and there is a boy on the other team, we're out of there.

01:52:56.960 There's zero chance.

01:52:58.540 I will let her play.

01:52:59.500 I don't care who I offend.

01:53:00.700 I mean, I think I've made that clear, but there's no way.

01:53:04.980 And I recommend other parents do the same thing because your kid actually could get hurt.

01:53:08.040 By the way, my star producers, they did cut the ESPN anchors, Elle Duncan and Malika Andrews,

01:53:14.720 talking about Roe versus Wade.

01:53:17.000 Here it is.

01:53:19.000 Literally any content with a girl in it, girl dad, but strip girls of their constitutional

01:53:25.000 rights, silence.

01:53:28.040 The Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade, declaring that the constitutional right to

01:53:32.980 abortion, upheld for nearly a half century, no longer exists.

01:53:38.900 In less than 24 hours, we celebrated equal rights for women, and now we react to women's

01:53:44.640 reproductive rights being taken away.

01:53:46.540 Oh, my God.

01:53:48.260 She's holding back tears.

01:53:49.640 Where's her tearful diatribe for my daughter and the daughters of America right now who are

01:53:56.280 getting hurt when playing against biological boys?

01:53:58.980 Why are they crying about abortion on the set at ESPN, Sage?

01:54:06.280 I don't know.

01:54:08.200 I don't know.

01:54:09.280 But I mean it.

01:54:10.080 I feel like if we only came together on this, we could end it.

01:54:14.740 We are so powerful when we want to be, and we're choosing the wrong time to be silent.

01:54:19.280 No.

01:54:19.900 Instead, we see this person, who is it?

01:54:21.520 Andre, Anne, Andre, 40-year-old biological male, who just, you got to laugh because it's

01:54:30.540 comical, who just won in Canada the women's, it's called the Western Canadian Championship,

01:54:38.140 where he lifted 400 pounds more than the actual woman who came in second, who's secretly the

01:54:46.800 champion because this is a man who won the women's event.

01:54:49.540 So they won, look at this, this is a 400 pound addition to what any woman out there was able to do.

01:54:55.740 Why?

01:54:56.620 Because it's a man.

01:54:57.800 It's a biological man.

01:54:59.660 And, oh, you'll be super thrilled to learn that Anne Andre set a new Canadian women's national record.

01:55:09.400 They're giving this guy the women's record.

01:55:13.980 And guess what?

01:55:15.100 Anne isn't sorry at all.

01:55:18.160 This is Anne responding to some of the backlash against him for stealing our title.

01:55:22.980 I think it's, well, it's either SOT 6 or 7.

01:55:27.280 Yeah, go ahead.

01:55:29.040 Quick little note.

01:55:30.320 There's a whole bunch of people going, oh, well, you got 200 kilograms against your nearest competitor.

01:55:37.700 Well, like, yeah, because I'm in here training five days a week for three hours a day on average.

01:55:45.560 And my next closest competitor doesn't because she has a life.

01:55:51.040 Anyways.

01:55:51.600 But, shockingly, if you look at, say, Brit and Mac, who are both insanely better than me, they also dramatically outdistance me because their training is better.

01:56:05.440 It's almost as if people have different aptitudes, abilities, and dedications.

01:56:13.240 Maybe that matters.

01:56:15.280 Whatever.

01:56:15.700 Oh, I hadn't seen that.

01:56:19.540 Anne, that is not a flattering angle.

01:56:22.160 I'm just going to tell you.

01:56:23.660 I know.

01:56:26.700 Keep it tucked.

01:56:27.560 Keep it tight, please.

01:56:29.700 You don't need a full body shot, Anne.

01:56:31.880 No one wants to see that.

01:56:34.940 Oh, no.

01:56:36.100 We have to, it's laugh or cry, Sage.

01:56:38.200 This is what our girls are up against.

01:56:40.020 Did you see what Dave Chappelle said?

01:56:43.360 In his comedy routine?

01:56:45.360 Yeah.

01:56:45.800 One of, I mean, hello, I think he's hysterical.

01:56:48.000 But, by the way, how, you saw Megan Rapinoe looping me and David Chappelle and Martina Navratilova into, because our stance on preserving women's sports is inciting violence in the trans community.

01:57:02.360 That was, that was cute, Megan, and I know how cute it is about her, but when Dave Chappelle came on, this is a long time ago, and he's like, okay, let's just flip this then.

01:57:14.600 When LeBron James says, I'm a woman today, and I'm going to go play in the WNBA, where he's going to proceed to score 856 points a night.

01:57:25.100 Is that going to be okay with you ladies?

01:57:26.980 Like, what's the line here, and when is it nothing up?

01:57:30.260 Right.

01:57:30.400 No, we need, I've been saying this for a while, and I really believe it, you're the sports person, we need a man to go into women's professional tennis.

01:57:41.220 That's where the women become superstars and millionaires, and we celebrate the ladies, you know, from Serena Williams to Naomi Osaka to Coco Gauff.

01:57:53.340 Let's let those ladies, who are like the creme de la creme in the tennis world, start losing to dudes, and then let's force the wokesters to really, that's where, you know, the, what is it, the rubber hits the road.

01:58:07.520 Let's see who they choose.

01:58:09.140 Is it going to be the women who have their own space, or is it going to be the men who you've been propping up because they call themselves women, even though they're not?

01:58:18.980 You know what this is exactly like, and this just hit me, it's all the people who are fine with open borders, fine, let everybody come in, until I bus them up to Martha's Vineyard, and then, like, can't have it both ways, guys.

01:58:33.320 No, cannot have it, I love that the Martha's Vineyard residents were like, they're doing wonderfully, it worked out brilliantly, like, oh, great, you know how many bus loads we have for you, that's, I'm so happy you're happy, this is perfect, we found their new home, everybody wins.

01:58:50.660 Wait, I've got to backtrack, because if I don't ask you about Barbara Walters, she attacks you, what do you, wait, what?

01:58:57.500 What happened?

01:59:02.280 It was right after that segment, with the Obama segment, and went in the back, and so they used to, I don't know, I have not and will not watch that ever again, it's been years, since I was last on, the last time I watched it.

01:59:16.900 And so Sherry and Jenny went on to do the next segment, and so it was Barbara, Whoopi, and myself in the dark green room off the side, I know you've been there, and I was just standing there, I was getting a little cup of water, and it was, I was probably about four feet from the wall in the trash can, and Barbara was standing over here in front of me.

01:59:37.600 And she just started to back up towards me, and looked at me, and got close, and elbowed me, and pushed me back into the wall in the trash can, I was like, I won't tell you what I said, actually, because I'm trying, you know, I have a sign that says, I love Jesus, but I cuss sometimes, and I do cuss sometimes, and I really love Jesus, I'm trying not to do it today, because I know my mom's going to watch this, but I was like, what did this just do to me?

02:00:05.080 Like, this 140-year-old woman just tried to, like, tackle me, like, what am I, what is, what is happening right now? And some of the producers saw it, Whoopi saw it, and Whoopi was like, come here, and she was great, and she pulled me aside in her little area, and she's like, don't you let her do it, and I'm like, am I in a movie right now?

02:00:24.620 A legend, one of the legends in this industry just tried to beat me up, like, what is happening because of my, am I biracial?

02:00:33.340 I was like, I need a camera right now, because no one will believe that Barbara Walters went like that, and I can't, I can't make it up.

02:00:38.660 Oh, my God.

02:00:40.100 It hit me, like, it made contact.

02:00:44.440 She didn't say, like, oh, excuse me, that was by accident.

02:00:47.980 Oh, she glared at me.

02:00:51.980 Unbelievable, and yet totally believable.

02:00:54.860 Yet totally believable.

02:00:56.160 You know, I, I, she had the daughter, she adopted the daughter.

02:00:59.920 According to her own memoir, she proceeded to then ignore the daughter for the daughter's entire life and thought that she was a good mother because she sat the daughter in front of the TV camera lens when she was in Cuba with Castro and elsewhere and kind of then couldn't understand why the daughter kept having behavioral problems.

02:01:18.160 It's like, there's no mother, there's no, there are parents, children need parents, and that is a struggle.

02:01:24.960 Like, I know, you know, you mentioned your three children.

02:01:27.520 I've got three children, too.

02:01:29.480 I, can I just ask you about something that's been on my mind lately?

02:01:31.480 Because I, people can hear you're not some, like, I am feminist, hear me roar, but yet you are the primary wage earner, the only wage earner, and, but I am kind of disturbed at the amount of, like, weird comments we're getting now on the, the right about how it's like, women need to go back home and, and be in the kitchen.

02:01:51.620 Like, women need to understand the only thing that's really going to make a man happy is to have a woman at home taking care of him in the bedroom, in the kitchen, fulfilling sort of more traditional female roles.

02:02:03.400 Sage, can I tell you, it's really, like, getting under my skin and, like, completely railing on feminism, and I understand, I don't call myself a feminist, but that's not to say that the feminist movement didn't make any real progress for women in creating professional pathways that you and I were able to take advantage of.

02:02:18.580 Like, why, why, why do we have to overcorrect everything, right?

02:02:22.580 It's like, now we have to go back to shaming women who are in the professional world, because somehow we're less than when it comes to our, you know, like, there's like the Barbara Walters, she went too far, I think, in abandoning those roles.

02:02:34.540 But, like, you're an example of how it can be done.

02:02:37.100 Your kids seem to be doing great.

02:02:38.480 My kids are doing great.

02:02:39.500 I don't know.

02:02:40.200 Just interested in your thoughts on it.

02:02:42.260 Yeah, it's so, it is so disturbing.

02:02:44.960 And I, listen, I've, I've struggled.

02:02:47.340 My entire, since I became a mother in 2002, because family's everything, and I wanted to be there for everything.

02:02:57.360 You don't want to miss anything for your kids, right?

02:02:59.540 But I knew that with my husband having chosen to stay home with the kids for the first few years was, was how it began.

02:03:08.020 Like, it was, it was on me.

02:03:10.540 And I was sad at times that I wasn't able to, to fulfill some of those traditional roles that I really wanted to do while going off to be a professional and fulfill my dream.

02:03:19.980 Because I believe we can do both.

02:03:21.640 Hello, you and I have proven that we can do both.

02:03:24.920 But sometimes the support or lack of came from other women.

02:03:29.220 And I remember one of my neighborhoods, we lived in another part of Connecticut.

02:03:33.000 I was one of like three working moms and probably a neighborhood of like 150 homes.

02:03:37.700 And one of the women in the neighborhood was the president of the PTO for the local elementary school.

02:03:43.000 And she wrote an email and, you know, the whole thing of meant to send it to one person, but send it to the whole neighborhood.

02:03:50.280 And talked about, you know, if those working moms, the three of us really, really cared about their kids, they would be there for the Christmas play, the holiday play.

02:03:58.400 And I remember being like, devastated, because I was already judging myself enough as a young horse, have another woman do that, and then other women piling on.

02:04:08.760 And so I'm very sensitive to it and very sensitive to that draw and that pull.

02:04:15.380 But you have proven better than anyone that I know.

02:04:20.260 And I haven't met your husband or your kids or been to your home, but like, you've made it very clear your priorities.

02:04:26.160 And oh, by the way, how supportive you are of your husband, right?

02:04:28.960 And his career and what he has done in the past and currently, I just think both can exist.

02:04:35.520 Why do we have to choose?

02:04:37.520 Why does it have to be one or the other?

02:04:39.700 Like, I plan to continue my career.

02:04:42.840 This is my dream as a little girl.

02:04:43.840 And one way or another, I'm going to keep this going.

02:04:45.720 I don't know what it's going to look like, but I'm going to do it.

02:04:47.640 And I also, you know, hope to once again, find true love and be very supportive of a man.

02:04:58.420 And I love to make it for him when I can.

02:05:01.740 And if he needs me to pick up something, I want to do it because guess what?

02:05:05.280 I'm not going to settle for a man who's not going to do the same damn thing for me.

02:05:08.460 Like, I just think both can exist.

02:05:10.720 And why we're doing this is very confusing.

02:05:14.620 None of this crap makes sense anymore.

02:05:16.640 Sometimes it feels like it's Twilight Zone.

02:05:19.840 No, see, this is I so identify with everything you said.

02:05:23.160 This is one of the reasons I think that we were drawn to each other right from the get go is

02:05:26.480 you don't like you don't have to be one of these crazy feminists like the Snow White actress

02:05:31.720 who's like, there will be no prince.

02:05:33.840 We're abandoning the true love story.

02:05:36.140 It's all about leadership.

02:05:37.680 You don't have to go that far.

02:05:39.040 And you don't have to go over the other way where it's like you're Barbara Walters and

02:05:43.220 you ignore your child her whole life.

02:05:44.680 Like there there are millions of us who have chosen a hybrid model and it it's working.

02:05:51.460 You know, it's like where we're like we're managing to be good moms and yet pursue careers

02:05:57.920 without judging the people who choose, you know, stay at home moms or without who choose

02:06:03.460 not to be moms at all.

02:06:04.240 Like you, the extremes online try to shame both sides.

02:06:09.880 And I just think it's bullshit.

02:06:11.000 If you want to be a stay at home mom, that's awesome.

02:06:12.800 You should lean into it.

02:06:13.540 You should love it.

02:06:14.060 If you want to be a stay at home wife, lean into it.

02:06:16.540 Love it.

02:06:17.240 It sounds as many times I look at that and think I think I made the wrong life choices.

02:06:22.600 It looks damn good.

02:06:24.000 I know the same is also true for the women who decide to prioritize their careers and

02:06:29.240 crush it.

02:06:29.900 Now, if you have children, you do have to take care of them.

02:06:31.820 You know, Dr.

02:06:32.220 Laura is right about that.

02:06:33.120 Like you can't just then abandon your child to like all caregivers all the time.

02:06:37.720 But I just I think it's important to remind young women today.

02:06:40.700 There are millions of us who have chosen a hybrid and you can make it work.

02:06:44.240 You absolutely can.

02:06:46.400 And you are proof of that.

02:06:47.920 And I think that it's actually beautiful because your kids and my kids have obviously

02:06:56.080 witnessed it, too.

02:06:57.060 Like you're teaching them so much by going out there and being the best in this industry

02:07:03.660 at what you do, period, for decades on many different levels and platforms.

02:07:07.680 Like Megan Kelly is there's nobody else, right, who is you and can't even, as we say in sports,

02:07:13.700 I can't even hold my jock.

02:07:15.380 Like you, no one can touch you.

02:07:17.020 Sorry, that's vulgar.

02:07:19.420 You're doing that and they're seeing this strong, badass woman who's fulfilling her dream

02:07:25.360 while then coming home and not just taking care of them, but being loving to her husband

02:07:30.600 as well.

02:07:31.580 So you are giving your kids, I think, with kids a decade plus older than yours, priceless

02:07:37.760 lessons and that all can exist and you don't have to choose.

02:07:41.760 If you want to choose one, fine.

02:07:43.200 I would hope to your point that you're not saying, okay, nice to meet you, kiddos.

02:07:47.260 I'm going off to work for the next decade.

02:07:48.780 Good luck.

02:07:49.860 Like, but they're seeing strength in us and they're seeing empathy in us.

02:07:55.420 And I think some of those traditional roles are very important to uphold, at least in

02:08:00.140 my home.

02:08:00.960 Not old school, like, you know, with an apron on every day and wearing it like, no, come

02:08:05.780 on, let's be realistic.

02:08:06.880 That's not what hopefully most of them are encouraging.

02:08:08.720 But to show them both is a blessing.

02:08:11.880 And I know that I'm raising really strong girls and a really strong son too, because

02:08:17.760 that story you told about him pulling you aside is amazing.

02:08:21.720 Men.

02:08:22.340 What's that?

02:08:23.280 That story you told about your son pulling you aside saying it's about damn time you

02:08:26.820 started taking care of yourself.

02:08:27.860 Oh, you did something right there.

02:08:31.460 Well, we question every day, right?

02:08:33.660 And I have two in college.

02:08:35.160 By the way, they're at High Point University in North Carolina, which is incredible and

02:08:39.100 very patriotic and never once forced a mandate.

02:08:42.520 One of the few universities that never forced a mandate gave us parents choices.

02:08:47.400 They're together.

02:08:48.500 They're my kids are like best friends.

02:08:50.320 Boy, girl, they're they're they're taking care of an incredible university.

02:08:53.740 And then my daughter here and let me tell you every day.

02:08:56.900 And, you know, I I feel like, OK, I have screwed this up.

02:09:00.880 I screwed that up.

02:09:02.020 I'm sorry.

02:09:02.720 You apologize to my kids.

02:09:04.240 I discipline my kids.

02:09:05.460 But I'm still asking questions every day.

02:09:08.100 And it's the hardest job ever.

02:09:10.160 But it's the most important, obviously, job ever.

02:09:13.100 You never get you never get the grade.

02:09:15.440 You know, you don't get like the A plus delivered to you.

02:09:17.840 I mean, I would say, like, if you're the Menendez family, it's the ultimate F in parenting

02:09:21.940 when your kids actually wind up murdering you.

02:09:24.040 That's an F.

02:09:25.200 But it's dark, dark humor.

02:09:29.980 But it didn't work out so well.

02:09:32.980 Yeah, the rest of us had to kind of wonder, like, am I doing damage right now?

02:09:36.180 But I will say this.

02:09:37.360 My kids, their pains in the ass sometimes.

02:09:40.040 And recently I'm in we're in Greece.

02:09:41.120 I'm like, what did you just say to me?

02:09:42.180 We're in Greece.

02:09:42.920 Shut it.

02:09:43.460 Like, just be grateful, you know?

02:09:44.940 And I always say I mock it and I kid.

02:09:47.240 But sometimes I don't.

02:09:47.920 I'm like, listen to me.

02:09:49.640 When I'm dead, you're going to realize how cool I was.

02:09:51.840 So just back off.

02:09:54.120 That's good.

02:09:54.680 That's really dropping it on them.

02:09:56.320 I always say to my kids, like, whenever they say something that's not grateful, you know,

02:10:00.180 like, whatever, I'll have made a dinner, which I feel is a true gift if I really work on it

02:10:04.300 because I hate doing it.

02:10:05.240 I'm not good at it.

02:10:06.240 And then they don't usually complain.

02:10:07.920 But if they offer a complaint, I would say I say this every time.

02:10:11.380 I think the words you're looking for are and they know to now fill in.

02:10:15.420 Thank you.

02:10:16.440 Thank you.

02:10:17.020 Thank you.

02:10:17.480 That's all.

02:10:18.600 Hey.

02:10:19.140 I think the words you're looking for are and they do it.

02:10:22.320 OK, now, wait.

02:10:23.080 I wanted to ask another question about this whole saga.

02:10:25.820 Did Jay Cutler ever talk to you?

02:10:28.860 Have you ever rounded back with him?

02:10:33.380 They ran like the wind.

02:10:36.200 No, I thought that was going to land differently.

02:10:38.940 Yeah.

02:10:40.560 At first, at first, we started to get these emails like, hey, would you sign this real quick?

02:10:47.780 Like, they were afraid that I was going to sue them.

02:10:51.460 And I was like, number one, I'm not signing anything.

02:10:54.420 Stop it.

02:10:55.020 Number two, I own everything I said.

02:10:58.540 It's OK.

02:10:59.900 It's OK.

02:11:00.620 Don't worry.

02:11:01.260 This is Jay Cutler.

02:11:03.060 Hey, for a quarterback, not bad interviewing skills.

02:11:05.800 You know, he asked me, right?

02:11:07.320 Made some news.

02:11:09.080 Yeah.

02:11:09.580 His research.

02:11:10.340 By the way, his podcast is long gone.

02:11:12.100 I don't know if I scared him or if the ratings just went south after I blew it all up.

02:11:16.600 But he's not podcasting anymore.

02:11:18.540 I think he's out hunting somewhere in Tennessee.

02:11:19.960 I just, they were afraid.

02:11:24.920 He never called you?

02:11:26.520 No.

02:11:27.080 He never reached out to you?

02:11:28.860 The funny, no, no, no, no, no.

02:11:30.880 No, no, he did.

02:11:32.220 He did.

02:11:33.040 I'm sorry.

02:11:33.800 Let me take that back.

02:11:34.480 He did on social media.

02:11:35.680 He DMed me once.

02:11:36.500 And he's like, this is BS.

02:11:38.240 You know, this is ridiculous.

02:11:39.280 And then he retweeted something and BS out.

02:11:41.540 We never had a one-on-one conversation.

02:11:43.220 Um, I did finally meet him last June at a NASCAR event in Nashville.

02:11:49.160 And I was like, went up to him and I'm like, Jay Cutler, great to meet you.

02:11:55.720 My life has changed a lot, but this is a hundred percent not on Jay.

02:11:59.540 He, he, I'm, I'm glad that I remembered.

02:12:01.760 He did, he did reach out.

02:12:03.260 It was never, um, too in depth because I think that they probably were just like, stay away

02:12:07.780 from her, you know, um, and he's in the sports world, right?

02:12:11.880 He's in the sports world, which means like that it's, it's, I can relate to this in a

02:12:15.740 way because it's like, if, if Fox news turns on you in my field, like then conservatives

02:12:21.120 are wondering whether you're toxic or you're somebody they can talk to or, or Trump, uh,

02:12:25.780 Trump that, you know, I went through that too.

02:12:27.800 And then, so I can see like, if you're taking on ESPN, everybody who's beholden the ESPN has

02:12:32.740 to wonder whether you're an okay person to talk to.

02:12:35.680 That's all water under the bridge.

02:12:37.120 It's happened.

02:12:37.820 Oh, it is.

02:12:39.420 Yeah.

02:12:39.940 Obviously not just from, you know, one of my peers who chose not to come on the air with

02:12:43.740 me, but, um, no, it happened when I was doing a streaming show and something else with ESPN.

02:12:50.800 And there were people who I had been friends with who just wouldn't really answer a request.

02:12:56.080 Um, and I, and again, I try to put myself in their shoes, try to put myself in everybody's

02:13:00.520 shoes, Megan.

02:13:01.640 And I don't, I say you're, you're bad people.

02:13:04.500 I, I mean, I, I, I do like, I, I, I feel that way.

02:13:08.300 I'm more hurt by it because they know my character and then, and are now running away.

02:13:14.880 And it's like, Oh gosh.

02:13:15.840 And there are some, okay.

02:13:16.680 So they know, but they know your character, but you didn't know their character, but now

02:13:20.040 you do.

02:13:21.860 That's why I'm grateful for this.

02:13:23.940 And I literally wouldn't change because so many people have shown their true colors and

02:13:27.720 some of them aren't negative.

02:13:28.640 And some of them just can't handle it and can't handle being around people who are stronger.

02:13:34.260 Um, a lot of the women that I work with, it's like, I know I should say, well, you know,

02:13:38.580 until stage this and that, it's like, it's, it's, it's just okay.

02:13:42.100 My circle is, is tight and small and I'm so freaking grateful for them.

02:13:46.740 Um, and I'm grateful that this has forced me to really learn about myself and that I'm

02:13:53.140 a hell of a lot stronger than I thought.

02:13:55.260 Um, the stab wounds in my back are so deep, like, and I've been canceled.

02:14:00.820 I don't know how many times, but somehow I'm still here and I'm still standing.

02:14:06.340 And I just truly think that there's so many positives that have come from this.

02:14:11.320 Honestly, like it's been brutal.

02:14:13.800 And I've been, I have been devastated even the last couple of days, devastated, even

02:14:18.940 though I knew it was coming because you put your life into things and then all of a sudden

02:14:24.840 by it's gone, but, but the, I gained so much and I worked with so many great people and so

02:14:32.440 many great experiences and, um, God put me here for a reason and we're going to, we're

02:14:36.700 going to see where that leads.

02:14:37.500 But I do believe that like, whatever, wherever I land next, I just want to bring people together

02:14:42.220 and like have tough conversations and have discussions and quit being hypocritical because

02:14:47.860 now I'm going to, I'm going to be able to call you on it.

02:14:49.900 Not in like a mean way, but like, no, you can't say that.

02:14:54.700 And then do this.

02:14:56.060 Um, it's just, it's, it's overdue.

02:14:58.300 And so I have nothing to lose now.

02:15:00.080 What the hell?

02:15:00.940 Let's go.

02:15:01.440 Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

02:15:03.920 So is there anything in particular, like perhaps a podcast, a digital show could be in your

02:15:09.420 future?

02:15:10.600 Uh, I feel like that would go very well for you or do you, because it's, there's risks

02:15:13.920 and going back to work for the man.

02:15:17.180 Oh, you've talked about that publicly.

02:15:20.280 Um, and I guess on your show, and I I've talked to a lot of people who have said that, like

02:15:26.500 all I've ever done since I was 15 years old at Dairy Queen in Colorado Springs, Colorado

02:15:32.660 is work for someone else.

02:15:34.980 And I've had gotten so many great gifts from it.

02:15:38.420 I've never had to rely on just myself the past couple of years.

02:15:42.660 Yes.

02:15:43.280 I got a paycheck for sure.

02:15:44.460 A nice paycheck.

02:15:45.400 I'm so blessed in that way, but I've never had to do just.

02:15:50.060 Me, it's scary, but I've pushed through enough scary things the past few years, personally

02:15:57.940 and professionally that I, I believe I can do it.

02:16:01.620 I want, I want to try, but I, but I don't know about you.

02:16:07.520 And I'd love to ask you whether it's here or later, but you do have to have someone take

02:16:11.360 a chance on you as well, again, to give you the opportunity to do something and to create

02:16:15.980 something.

02:16:16.500 And I'm used to, I'm used to kind of having to live in a box and I execute orders very

02:16:24.660 well.

02:16:25.220 I'm really good at executing.

02:16:26.820 What if I create them?

02:16:28.660 I've just never had that opportunity.

02:16:30.760 So I'd love to.

02:16:31.760 Your dad's a colonel.

02:16:33.360 I know they call your mom, the general.

02:16:35.440 You've got this in your blood.

02:16:36.640 Like this, you can do this.

02:16:39.160 And honestly, I, I am there to help you with all of it.

02:16:42.260 I would love, love, love to help you in your next chapter.

02:16:44.780 But I have a prediction stage.

02:16:46.020 I think two years from now, we're going to be sitting here.

02:16:49.200 What is today?

02:16:49.720 August 17th.

02:16:50.940 We're going to be sitting here.

02:16:52.800 You're going to have a very successful independent show.

02:16:55.640 That's my prediction.

02:16:56.260 And I also think you're going to have a new man.

02:17:00.480 You're going to have love in your life because once you sort of scrape off some of the barnacles,

02:17:05.800 get rid of some of like the stuff that's been dragging you down, you, that new skin,

02:17:10.800 you take you back to the sage steel who marketed the lotions at night.

02:17:14.900 You get that new skin after the exfoliation and the glow is there and it attracts all good

02:17:22.420 things in every area of your life.

02:17:24.080 Like, I mean, you know how many red-blooded American men out there are like,

02:17:27.860 how about me?

02:17:28.840 How about me?

02:17:30.300 Like you're a fusion more ways than one.

02:17:32.560 No, and thank you so much for, for what you just said about the show and the future.

02:17:36.720 And I pray that you're right.

02:17:37.860 I do think this, that not, not all men can handle women like us.

02:17:45.040 True, true.

02:17:45.820 And that's what I'm really learning.

02:17:48.180 And you have to have a strong, confident alpha male.

02:17:52.980 At least that's what I want.

02:17:54.080 Who can handle us and uplift us and say, you go girl.

02:17:58.360 I got your back.

02:17:59.300 And if anyone messes with you, I will cut them.

02:18:01.420 If not something much worse, go for it.

02:18:03.960 But also check me when I need to be checked, but love me for me and my crazy and my emotions

02:18:10.520 and for my awesome children and for Megan Kelly.

02:18:14.360 And that's what Doug is to you and your firepower and everything else.

02:18:17.940 And he would, I guarantee he wouldn't change a thing, right?

02:18:21.060 I just, we need to, whether it's professionally or personally, surround ourselves with the right

02:18:27.240 people who believe in us and love us for who we are.

02:18:29.800 And you're right.

02:18:31.080 I think once we get there in all aspects, like, man, the chains are off and watch out.

02:18:37.140 And I think that's the exciting thing.

02:18:38.220 Despite my age, I'll be 51 in November.

02:18:40.460 I feel like not only am I really immature and like, okay, I have a child, let's go.

02:18:45.500 But I also feel like tons of energy and a new beginning and no fear, even though I have no clue

02:18:53.980 what life looks like an hour from now.

02:18:58.860 Sage Steele, who chose a harder right instead of an easier wrong.

02:19:03.900 I'm honored to call you a friend.

02:19:05.580 All the best to you.

02:19:07.600 Megan, can I just send you a hug through the screen?

02:19:10.180 I'm so grateful for you and for allowing me to speak for the first time ever as myself.

02:19:15.700 So I love you.

02:19:16.560 Thank you.

02:19:17.540 I love you too.

02:19:18.260 I'm honored.

02:19:18.820 You sat with me.

02:19:19.620 All the best to be continued.

02:19:21.520 My God, you're welcome.

02:19:22.740 She's amazing.

02:19:24.240 I'm so happy to bring you that conversation.

02:19:26.140 I know you're loving it as much as I loved it and would love your feedback on it too.

02:19:29.700 You can always email me, megan at megankelly.com.

02:19:32.900 We're going to be back on Monday.

02:19:34.780 In the meantime, have a great, great weekend.

02:19:37.240 And we'll talk more then.

02:19:41.880 Thanks for listening to The Megan Kelly Show.

02:19:44.060 No BS, no agenda.

02:19:45.780 And no fear.

02:19:50.080 We'll see you in the next section.

02:19:50.440 Only no fear.

02:19:52.660 We're going to be back step by step by step by step by step.

02:19:54.700 Basically, we'll be back step by step by step by step.

02:19:55.300 We'll see you in the next section.

02:19:56.940 We'll see you in the next section.

02:19:57.520 ...

02:19:58.720 We'll see you in the next section.

02:19:59.320 Again, we'll see you in the next section.

02:20:08.700 We'll see you in the next section.

02:20:09.800 We'll see you in the next section.

02:20:10.880 We'll see you in the next section.

02:20:11.760 We'll see you in the next section.

02:20:12.840 We'll see you in the next section.

The Megyn Kelly Show - August 17, 2023

Sage Steele Speaks Out For First Time About Her ESPN Exit, Being Stabbed in the Back, and Fighting For What's Right ｜ Ep. 610

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