Two days after making comments on Twitter in which she referred to Donald Trump as a “bigot” and a “white supremacist,” ESPN SportsCenter host Jemele Hill remains the hottest topic of conversation in the sports world (and really beyond).
Her tweets became fodder for the ESPN critics who have long complained of the company’s left-leaning ways, and, despite ESPN’s statement on the matter, the White House even went so far as to respond and call for Hill’s firing. While there have been plenty to criticize Hill and ESPN, there have been just as many to offer support to her, including a number of her ESPN colleagues, as well as athletes like Dwyane Wade and Colin Kaepernick.
Late Wednesday night, as discussion about her comments continued, Hill took to Twitter again to release an official statement and clarify that while she stood behind her statement as her own personal beliefs, she regrets if they had a negative effect on how ESPN was viewed.
So, to address the elephant in the room … #Facts pic.twitter.com/RTrIDD87ut
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 14, 2017
This statement explains the portion of the ESPN statement in which it claimed she “recognizes her actions were inappropriate.” The firestorm directed at ESPN created by Hill’s comments was not her intention, but she isn’t walking back what she said about Trump as being false — because it isn’t.
The company even released a statement on Wednesday night accepting her apology, via CNN.
“Jemele has a right to her personal opinions, but not to publicly share them on a platform that implies that she was in any way speaking on behalf of ESPN. She has acknowledged that her tweets crossed that line and has apologized for doing so. We accept her apology.”
Hill hosted SC6 on Wednesday night with co-host Michael Smith, and to this point there has not been any indication from ESPN or elsewhere that any kind of discipline is coming for Hill.
