Fox Sports Reporter Fired Over Racist Comments

Emily Austen, a 27-year-old Fox Sports Reporter, was fired today after making insensitive remarks about Mexican, Jewish and Chinese people.

Austen’s troubles stemmed from an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Rundown” Thursday where, according to Deadspin, she disparaged Mexican and Chinese people after being asked about a high school valedictorian who used Twitter to brag about being an undocumented citizen.

“I didn’t even know Mexicans were that smart. …That’s f***ed up,” Austen said. “I didn’t mean it like that. You see, you guys know that the Chinese guy is always the smartest guy in math class.”

After that the Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Magic reporter added some Anti-Semitic remarks when talking about her work experience as a server in Boca Raton, Florida.

Watch the video below:

“The way I used to talk to the Jews in Boca. I just didn’t care,” she said. “They would complain and b***h about everything. I gave a guy, delivered his beer, and he was complaining to me that there was too much head. I knew that he was a stingy a** and he wasn’t going to give me a tip.”

Early Friday, Fox Sports sent out a statement regarding Austen.

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“We were made aware that Emily Austen appeared in a social media video unaffiliated with FOX Sports in which she made insensitive and derogatory comments. She was not speaking on behalf of Fox Sports, nor do we condone any of the statements she made in the video,” Steve Tello, the network’s senior vice president, said. “Emily has been advised that her comments were unacceptable, and she is not scheduled to appear on any upcoming Fox Sports Florida or Fox Sports Sun broadcasts.”

The writing may have been on the wall even before the statement. At the end of the show Thursday, host Dan Katz joked, “we might have to hire you because you’re gonna get fired.”

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Valeria Galgano

Update: 2024-06-17

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