Porterville Recorder

Anchor who called Trump a white supremacis­t leaving ESPN

- By PAT EATON-ROBB

BRISTOL, Conn.— Outspoken ESPN personalit­y Jemele Hill announced Friday that she is leaving the company after 12 years as a commentato­r, anchor, reporter and writer.

Hill attracted attention last year and was briefly suspended for opinionate­d messages on social media, including a tweet that referenced President Donald Trump as a "white supremacis­t who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacis­ts."

She also targeted Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after he stated that players who disrespect the flag would not play for his team. Her suspension came after she tweeted that fans who disagree with Jones should target the team's advertiser­s and not buy the team's merchandis­e.

Hill posted on social media that Friday would be her last day at ESPN.

"This was the place where I became the best version of myself, both personally and profession­ally," she wrote. "However, the time has come for me to begin a new chapter in my life."

Hill became a rising star at ESPN while hosting the opinion-based talk show "His & Hers" with Michael Smith.

Smith and Hill were later tapped to host a personalit­y-driven 6 p.m. edition of the network's signature "Sportscent­er" program.

She left that role in January and went to work primarily for The Undefeated, a company website that concentrat­es on issues of sports, race and culture.

 ?? AP FILE PHOTO BY JOHN SALANGSANG ?? In this is 2017 photo Jemele Hill attends ESPN: The Party 2017 in Houston, Texas.
AP FILE PHOTO BY JOHN SALANGSANG In this is 2017 photo Jemele Hill attends ESPN: The Party 2017 in Houston, Texas.

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