Jemele Hill, anti-Trump critic at ESPN, out at 'SportsCenter': 'It wasn't my calling'

By Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times - Friday, January 26, 2018

Jemele Hill is leaving ESPN’s “SportsCenter” after roughly one year on the job.

The “SC6” anchor who made national headlines when she called President Trump a “white supremacist” in September 2017 will transition to a new job for the network on Feb. 2.

“jemelehill is leaving @SportsCenter for a new role with @TheUndefeated and other ESPN projects,” Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch tweeted Friday.

Ms. Hill, who was suspended for two weeks in October for tweets about the NFL’s national anthem protests, released a statement shortly afterward. She claims to have initiated the transition by putting in a request with Connor Schell, ESPN Executive Vice President, Content.

“There is an old adage that says, the heart wants what it wants,” she wrote, the New York Post reported. “I started at ESPN 11 years ago as a columnist and while I have worn many hats in the time since, my true love always has been writing, reporting and commentary. While I have grown in every way imaginable this last year on the 6 p.m. SportsCenter, deep down I knew it wasn’t my calling.”

ESPN released a statement later in the day saying that Ms. Hill will also contribute to work on “E:60,” along with “Outside the Lines” and other shows.