Ex-ESPN host Samantha Ponder finally breaks silence on bitter exit after being fired in wake of trans athlete criticism
Ponder, 39, was surprisingly fired by the network just two years into her three-year, $3million contract back in August 2024, with her dismissal attributed to cost-cutting measures at the time.
However, the Sunday NFL Countdown host's exit came just weeks after she spoke out against boxer Imane Khelif - who won a women's boxing gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris despite claims she is a biological male.
After sharing quotes from one of Khelif's opponents on why she quit midway through their bout, she wrote on X: 'ENOUGH is what all of us should be saying!! Proud of this woman'.
During an appearance on fellow ex-ESPN star Sage Steele's podcast this week, Ponder said she was instantly worried about potential repercussions from network bosses.
'I knew when I sent that it wasn't going to go over well,' she told Steele. 'But to me that's abuse. You have a male in a boxing ring with a female, literally beating her. And we're just supposed to like [clap gesture] "Yay" in the name of inclusion?'
The Sunday NFL Countdown host had criticized controversial Olympics boxer Imane Khelif
Ponder, who spent 14 years with ESPN before her firing, had also made her feelings on trans athletes in women's sports clear on multiple occasions in the past.
Back in June 2023, she retweeted a video post of former UPenn swimmer Paula Scanlan recalling her time as a teammate of trans athlete Lia Thomas and commented: 'No matter where you stand on this issue, it is well worth your time to listen to @PaulaYScanlan share her own story as someone who actually lived this while a female athlete at UPenn.'
Two months earlier the then-ESPN personality also claimed on X that allowing trans athletes to compete in women's sports 'takes away so many opportunities for biological women and girls in sports.'
And while she also puts her firing down to an infrequent work schedule, Ponder believes it is no coincidence that it came shortly after her latest trans protest regarding Khelif.
'I don't really think me losing my job was solely because of that, but the timing of it almost certainly was,' she explained to Steele. 'I was told after the fact privately that most people at the top of the company did agree with me on the issue, but there is a loud activist group at [ESPN owners] Disney and they were not happy with me.
'I can say all that and tell this part of the story and still tell you, Sage, it's one of the best things that ever happened to me.'
DailyMail.com has reached out to ESPN for comment.
A year prior to Ponder's exit, Steele also called time on her 16-year stay at ESPN in order to express her opinions more freely.
https://t.co/C23l9Sn2js
— Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) August 1, 2024
She sued the network in April of 2022 after claiming the company 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. The two parties then went their separate ways in August 2023.
Ponder alleges she was emailed by an ESPN executive who claimed the company was 'uncomfortable' with her discussing trans athletes in women's sports and 'they weren't going to allow me to misgender people.'
When she asked for specifics, which immediately weren't provided, she later received a detailed email the following week noting how she had favorited a tweet from conservative voice Megyn Kelly which said men don't need gynecologists.
'In some ways, I thought it was funny how ridiculous it is,' Ponder said. 'Any woman who's been to the gynecologist can understand that, I think.'
The email also allegedly contained further examples of actions ESPN deemed 'offensive' as they warned her: 'We're not doing this.'
Almost a year on from her departure, Ponder now views it as a blessing in disguise.
'I was on that hamster wheel and I was not going to jump off on my own. I needed to get kicked off,' she admitted. 'As much as the part of the reasoning behind it is legit crazy, I feel no bitterness or even frankly sadness. I had a great career, I was 20 years in the business. I met some awesome people and there are still some really great people there. Never thought this would kind of be the way out but should have spoken up a long time before, I should have been a lot more courageous when I knew what was right.'
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