FILE – In this is a Feb. 3, 2017, file photo Jemele Hill attends ESPN: The Party 2017 in Houston, Texas. The outspoken ESPN personality has announced she is leaving the company. Hill attracted attention last year and was briefly suspended for opinionated messages on social media, including a reference to President Donald Trump as a “white supremacist.” She tweeted Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, that it was her last day at ESPN. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP, File)
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — 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.
Connor Schell, ESPN’s executive vice president for content, issued a statement praising Hill as “an exceptionally talented writer, storyteller host and commentator whose unique voice has made ESPN’s many platforms better over the last 12 years.”
“As she moves forward into the next phase of her career, with the desire to produce content outside of sports, we wish her the best and thank her for her work,” he said.
Hill has not announced her post-ESPN plans.
