Sage Steele says ESPN 'silenced' her and others: 'The opposite of equity, tolerance and inclusion'

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele joins ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ to detail her time at ESPN and her history of speaking out.

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele is speaking out about her exit from the company, telling Jesse Watters that she was not the only one at the company who felt "silenced" from expressing certain opinions.

The longtime former "SportsCenter" host joined "Jesse Watters Primetime" Tuesday to discuss what she experienced and when she decided it was time for her to move on. 

"I wasn't the only one who felt silenced, who felt scared. I mean, some of us would literally whisper in the corner or even in the bathroom and talk about, hey, we can't say this too loud," said Steele, who was sidelined by ESPN in 2021 when she spoke out on a podcast about the company forcing her to receive the COVID vaccine.

Steele said opinions on one side were allowed to be discussed, but not from the other. 

FORMER ESPN ANCHOR SAGE STEELE BLASTS COMPANY'S HYPOCRISY DAYS AFTER LEAVING

Sage Steele speaks onstage during The Players Tailgate Hosted By Bobby Flay and presented by Bullseye Event Group for Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Bullseye Event Group)

"Not just in the studio or in the green room or the makeup room, but on social media, on ESPN platforms. And I think that's all I ever wanted. And that's kind of what the suit was about, was consistency. What are the rules? Let's make them clear and make sure everybody follows them, not just the people that fit a certain narrative."

Steele said after this went on for years, she "had enough." 

"The biggest blessing for me is that I've finally learned to be okay not being liked, even if they're for reasons that I think are stupid.