Top ESPN Analysts Considered Boycott Over Leaked Rachel Nichols Video About Black Host

“I was around some of my friends, and we just … we say dumb stuff together,” said Morgan Wallen during the Friday episode of Good Morning America, referring to the video of him using a racial slur that was leaked in February.

Morgan Wallen spoke to Michael Strahan about that racial slur video in a new interview for “Good Morning America”.

Spike Lee has apologized after slipping up and announcing the top winner at this year's Cannes Film Festival. On Saturday, the director announced that had won the 2021 Palme d'Or, but he was supposed to reveal a different prize winner instead. «I have no excuses.

In a memo sent to ESPN employees on Friday, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro addressed what he called “nuanced and complicated personnel matters” related to “recent events.” Those events revolve around leaked comments made by one of the the network’s highest-profile female hosts Rachel Nichols, who is white, and another of the network’s highest-profile female hosts Maria Taylor, who is Black.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorESPN plans to drill deeper into issues of diversity and inclusion, going as far as to examine the exit interviews of recently departed employees, in the wake of a dispute that has engulfed two of the network’s basketball reporters, the chairman of the Disney-backed outlet told staffers in a memo.“Change takes time, and I ask for your partnership on this journey,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said to employees in the memo, which was circulated last week.

UPDATE, 8:45: ESPN anchor Maria Taylor has finally spoken out in the wake of the controversy surrounding remarks made about her by fellow employee Rachel Nichols.

said NABJ president Dorothy Tucker.

Shortly before tip off of the first game of the 2021 NBA Finals, league commissioner addressed the media. Specifically, he addressed the turmoil at one of the league’s premiere TV partners, ESPN, surrounding hosts Rachel Nichols and Maria Taylor.

On the day of the start of the NBA Finals, ESPN’s premiere daily NBA show was missing from its schedule. Instead, according to the New York Post, viewers who tuned in at 3 p.m., ET on Tuesday found the two-man team of Jalen & Jacoby, who are usually The Jump‘s lead-in. A subsequent Jump schedule spot on ESPNH2 at 4 p.m., ET was replaced by the network’s Highly Questionable.

PHOENIX -- ESPN has replaced Rachel Nichols as its sideline reporter for the NBA Finals following a report detailing critical comments she made about Black colleague Maria Taylor.The network announced Tuesday that Malika Andrews would handle that role for the series between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.Nichols, who is white, has been the sideline reporter for its top national games this season and for last year's NBA Finals.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorESPN had to devise a new game plan for the NBA Finals.The Disney-owned sports-media giant said it would move its veteran basketball reporter Rachel Nichols off sideline duties for the NBA Finals, slated to be broadcast tonight on ABC and feature the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the Phoenix Suns, and utilize Malika Andrews instead as it grapples with new scrutiny over how it handled a bizarre leak of Nichols on video appearing to disparage last year’s decision to use

The New York Times reported on Sunday that several of the company’s top NBA analysts had considered boycotting this year’s playoffs over how ESPN handled the situation.After the video spread internally at the network and was later partially leaked by Deadspin, Taylor told ESPN execs that she had decided to not finish covering the NBA season.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorRachel Nichols typically uses the opening moments of the ESPN basketball program, “The Jump,” to talk about the latest news in the NBA. On Monday, she used it to address a growing story that has her at the center.In July of last year, Nichols was caught on video speaking to representatives of LeBron James about ESPN’s decision to have Maria Taylor host “NBA Countdown” during 2020’s NBA Finals.

Check out the controversial comments made by ESPN’s Rachel Nichols and see her apology – TMZ Netflix sadly canceled four shows in the same day – Just Jared Jr This is definitely one of the weirdest stories we’ve read in a while – DListed A famous actor has slammed the upcoming Black Widow movie – TooFab See what Addison Rae wore to her Fourth of July party – Egotastic This fan favorite couple just flaunted a lot of PDA in public – Just Jared Jr

New York Times report released on Sunday included portions of a leaked July 2020 conversation by ESPN host Rachel Nichols that has led to internal backlash at the sports network and surfaced long-held frustration for the Black women employed there. The conversation between Nichols and LeBron James’ longtime advisor Adam Mendelsohn was accidentally recorded by Nichols herself when she forgot to turn her video camera off and was transmitted to ESPN’s video servers.