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Jemele Hill Confirms Departure From ESPN

The White House suggested she should be fired last year when she called Trump “a white supremacist” in a tweet.

Journalist Jemele Hill on Friday confirmed rumors that she is leaving ESPN after 12 years. The sports commentator, who was briefly suspended last year for violating the network’s social-media guidelines, sparked controversy for calling President Donald Trump a “white supremacist” in a tweet. In her statement, Hill thanked several of her co-workers and the network. “When I started at ESPN in 2006, I had no idea that such a wonderful journey would take place over the next 12 years. This was the place where I became the best version of myself, both personally and professionally,” the statement read. Her departure follows a recent meeting with reporters during which ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro insisted that the network should be an apolitical voice in the sports world. Connor Schell, ESPN executive vice president, commended Hill in a statement calling her, “an exceptionally talented writer, storyteller host and commentator whose unique voice has made ESPN’s many platforms better over the last 12 years.”