Sage Steele Files Lawsuit Against Agency for Mishandling ESPN Dispute

Sage Steele, who spent more than a decade and a half at ESPN, is suing the talent and sports agency that represented her. 

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele has taken legal action against Creative Artists Agency (CAA), claiming that her representatives failed to adequately support her during her conflict with ESPN. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Steele filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, accusing CAA of breaching its fiduciary duty.

Suing Over Representation

Steele’s discontent stems from how CAA handled her situation with ESPN. After making remarks on Jay Cutler’s podcast that criticized Disney’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, she faced backlash from her employer—Disney being ESPN’s parent company. Steele asserted: I respect everyone’s decision, I really do, but to mandate it is, um, sick. She added, It’s scary to me in many ways. But I have a job, a job that I love, and, frankly, a job that I need.

Departure From ESPN

In April 2022, Steele filed a lawsuit against both ESPN and Disney following the aftermath of her comments. Following the lawsuit’s settlement, Steele announced her departure from ESPN via Twitter, where she expressed her desire to exercise her First Amendment rights more freely.

Allegations Against CAA

The core of Steele’s lawsuit against CAA revolves around its co-head of sports media, Matthew Kramer. The complaint alleges Kramer did not ensure proper measures were taken to clarify Steele would not be forced to apologize for her stance on Disney’s vaccination policy. Furthermore, the suit states that a junior attorney was assigned to review the contract instead of a high-ranking member of CAA’s legal department.

Steele remarked in the interview: All I ever wanted was consistency. And if we are allowing my peers to go on social media … then I should be allowed on my personal time to give my opinion. This highlights her frustration over perceived inconsistencies regarding freedom of expression at ESPN.

Conflict of Interest Claims

The lawsuit also touches upon a possible conflict of interest within CAA; the agency represents other prominent ESPN figures like Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski who secured contract extensions in 2022.

CAA Sports International Expands

Amid this turmoil, CAA Sports International has been expanding its footprint by appointing Alex McGuire to oversee its sports media representation in the UK and Europe. McGuire aims to broaden CAA’s portfolio which already includes talent like CBS Sports host Kate Abdo and NBA analyst Doris Burke. As Matthew O’Donohoe, one of CAA’s veteran agents stated: Under the leadership of veteran agents Tom and Matt, CAA Sports Media has become the industry leader in the representation of sports broadcasters.