Malia Taylor's turbulent exit from ESPN helped her understand that she wasn't defined by those four letters or any other job.
In a TikTok video, the NBC Sports broadcaster spoke candidly about their public breakup in 2021 while appearing on ESPN's “Manning Cast” with Peyton and Eli Manning on Monday.
“So, (Monday) night, I was at my former employer's network. Let's talk about it,” Taylor began in Tuesday's “Get Ready” video, explaining that working for ESPN was the first time he was at UGA University. She added that it was her “dream job” while in school.
“I worked at ESPN for 10 years and really enjoyed my time there, but the end was a bit rocky.”
Taylor left ESPN, where she worked from 2013 to 2021, after her then-coworker Rachel Nichols made disparaging comments about Taylor in a leaked audio released in July 2021. did. That same month, he joined NBC Sports.
“But then I had an opportunity to seriously decide what I wanted to do with my life going forward and whether or not where I was was the best place for me. And as we all know…going through a change… It's difficult,” she said. Said.
“But I knew in my heart it was time. To be honest, I needed more opportunities to spend time with my family to start a family, but the level I was performing and the At the level of work I was doing, I didn't think I would have the time. I still wanted to work at a very high level, but I just wanted to focus on very important, high-quality events. It was.
“And I felt like the relationship ended on its own. And this is so funny because when I was making the final decision, someone said to me, 'If you leave here, you'll never be able to do it again. You'll never appear on TV – it's like no one will ever see you again.''
“And as long as I watched the check go into my bank account, I remember thinking, 'I don't care if anyone ever sees me again.' And in that moment, I realized who I am. I found myself thinking about something else.
“And to be honest, I just felt like it was time for a new challenge. I was getting a little tired of the same thing, so I wanted to try something new.”
Taylor joined NBC Sports less than a week after his contract with ESPN expired.
“To be completely honest, I cried. I cried for two weeks straight while I was in Tokyo covering the Olympics. I literally flew from the NBA Finals to Tokyo and thought, 'What the hell did I do? , I thought to myself, “What am I doing here?'' I don't know anyone here. It’s the coronavirus,” she recalled. “I was very sad, but to be honest, I was sad about something.
“I was grieving, thinking about what my dream job meant. And my dreams had changed. So I started thinking about what my new life would be like. I was grieving because I was trying to figure it out, and it took about two weeks.”
Taylor said he is grateful for the process and his time at ESPN.
“I am grateful that I grew up and felt capable and strong enough to walk away and realize that 4 letters don’t define me, 3 letters don’t define me, my job doesn’t define me. I can define who I am and who I want to be in this world. And even if that means changing caregivers or places, it doesn't mean anything at all. And that’s no one’s business.”
Her video was captioned, “Let's talk about change.” Just choose you and leave it at that. ”
Taylor and her husband John Hemphill welcomed their sonRoman Ryan Taylor Hemphill, December 2023.
Taylor is in her third season as host of NBC's “Sunday Night Football,” making her the first woman to host the network's studio show “Football Night in America” full-time. .
