Disney silent on ongoing drama surrounding ESPN host Pat McAfee, NFL star Aaron Rodgers and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel

Former ESPN host Sage Steele discussed her departure from the company and why she felt she needed to take a stand

The ongoing ESPN drama surrounding star host Pat McAfee has become a mess for parent company Disney, but the House of Mouse has been silent as questions pile up. 

The ordeal started last week when four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers suggested during an appearance on ESPN’s "The Pat McAfee Show" that ABC star Jimmy Kimmel was "really hoping" documents related to Jeffrey Epstein didn’t come out. 

Since ESPN and ABC are both owned by Disney, the entire industry was stunned that Kimmel was criticized on the platform. Kimmel quickly threatened legal action and pushed back on any notion he was a pedophile or had any connection to the notorious Epstein, who died in 2019. 

ESPN APOLOGIZES FOR AARON RODGERS' 'DUMB' JOKE REGARDING JIMMY KIMMEL, JEFFREY EPSTEIN

The ongoing ESPN drama surrounding star host Pat McAfee has become a mess for parent company Disney. (Getty Images)

The New York Post then published a report, "Pat McAfee needs to produce better ratings to be worth $85 million — and headaches — for ESPN," which pointed to the program’s under-performing ratings on linear TV.  

The report noted that McAfee, who reportedly signed a five-year deal for $85 million, is attractive to ESPN because he brings in younger viewers, and has a massive YouTube audience, but the negative headline was enough to irk McAfee. 

Later in the week, McAfee called out longtime ESPN executive Norby Williamson by name on the program’s streaming-only segment, accusing him of "sabotaging" the show from within by leaking the unflattering ratings data to the press. He also called Williamson a "rat," and said a lot of people inside ESPN didn’t