A former ESPN host, who lost her job after commenting on a male athlete competing in women’s sports, has shared her thoughts for the first time since the incident.
Samantha Ponder reflected on her dismissal during a Wednesday interview with Sage Steele, another ex-ESPN personality. Ponder explained that she was let go after she retweeted a post from Paula Scanlan, a well-known advocate for women’s sports, in the summer of 2023. Following this, ESPN reportedly sent her a message claiming her comments about transgender athletes were “offensive.”
“I wasn’t trying to be hurtful,” Ponder stated. “I was just trying to elevate these girls’ stories, given the limited attention I could.” She mentioned receiving a detailed email shortly thereafter, which included a tweet she had liked, and was cautioned about her social media activity.
Her issues with ESPN persisted into 2024, especially after she tweeted in support of a female Olympic boxer pitted against a male athlete. Ponder said she was let go shortly after that tweet.
“I was informed that many higher-ups shared my views, but there was a strong group of activists at Disney who were not pleased with me,” she remarked. Ponder suspects that her termination wasn’t solely related to her views on transgender issues, as she expressed a belief that other factors were in play.
“I don’t really think I lost my job just for that, but the timing was certainly telling,” she noted. Ponder also spoke about the positive aspect of having more time with her three kids after previously declining job offers.
“I should have spoken up sooner. I really should have had more courage about what I believed was right,” Ponder concluded.
