ESPN host Sage Steele is leaving after 16 years so she 'can exercise First Amendment rights' after settling a lawsuit with the network over her controversial statements about the COVID-19 vaccine and

She had since returned to the network until announcing her departure Tuesday Steele was suspended from ESPN over comments about COVID and Obama Sage Steele is leaving ESPN after 16 years so that she may express her opinions more freely. Steele sued the network in April of 2022 after claiming that ESPN violated her First Amendment rights and Connecticut free-speech laws by suspending her over comments about former President Barack Obama and the COVID-19 vaccine. Steele is leaving ESPN after 16 years so that she may express here opinions more freely Sage Steele is liberating herself from ESPN after 16 years, she announced on Tuesday STEELE'S 2021 COMMENTS While being interviewed on former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler's podcast, ESPN's Sage Steele made several controversial statements that she says resulted in her being suspended by the network. In March, Steele slammed the decision to allow transgender athletes to compete in the women's division of USA Powerlifting after the sports body lost a four-year discrimination case brought by a trans lifter. Sage Steele is defending her ESPN colleague Sam Ponder over bigotry claims USA Today's Nancy Armour accused Ponder of acting out of bigotry rather than concern USA Today's Nancy Armour responded with a tweet and related column, rejecting Ponder's claim that she was defending women, and instead arguing that the ESPN host was promoting bigotry.