Sports Entertainment

Sage Steele: ESPN told me to stop tweeting about trans swimmer Lia Thomas

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Social Links for Ryan Glasspiegel
Published Dec. 27, 2023, 2:26 p.m. ET

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele says that the network told her to put a lid on her Lia Thomas commentary.

Thomas swam for the University of Pennsylvania as a male before transitioning to female, ultimately setting various records and winning a 2022 national championship in the women’s 500-yard event.

Eventually, Steele and ESPN “Sunday NFL Countdown” host Sam Ponder tweeted their opposition to Thomas and other biological males competing in women’s sports.

This week, Steele appeared on OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” with Riley Gaines — a former Kentucky swimmer who competed against Thomas, and was taken aback when the two tied but the trophy was given to Thomas — and mentioned that there was internal backlash at ESPN.

“I was asked to stop tweeting about it. I was asked to stop doing anything, saying anything about it on social media because I was offending others at the company. I made sure I sent up another tweet that night after I received that email because like, no,” Steele told Gaines.

Sage Steele said that ESPN told her to stop tweeting about trans swimmer Lia Thomas.
Sage Steele said that ESPN told her to stop tweeting about trans swimmer Lia Thomas. Getty Images

“And it’s, let’s stop living in this lie. And once again, oh, you’re going to you’re to silence me and Sam. She was told the same thing, for this issue, but they were going to let everybody else talk about all these other things that are not even related to sports on our sports programing.”

“I already had the lawsuit going. I didn’t know what how it was going to end. But I literally said, this is the hill I will die on 100 percent because it’s facts. This is not even my opinion about a vaccine mandate or whatever, these are facts. This is science, this is biology. This is all of the things. Come at me. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me to stop supporting women. Go ahead, tell me.”

Lia Thomas won the 2022 NCAA national championship in the women's 500-yard event.
Lia Thomas won the 2022 NCAA national championship in the women’s 500-yard event. Getty Images

An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on Steele’s claims when reached by The Post.

Steele and ESPN parted ways earlier this year after the two sides settled a lawsuit brought by Steele alleging that the company infringed upon her free speech rights when she criticized parent company Disney’s vaccine mandates.