While shell-shocked FS1 anchor Joy Taylor and her controversial former colleague Skip Bayless remain silent about the sexual harassment lawsuit at Fox Sports, the controversy is having wild repercussions across the sports world.
The latest social media warriors to take on the issue are NFL outcast Antonio Brown and former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill, neither of whom have directly addressed the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of former Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji, accuses Bayless and Fox Sports executive Charlie Dixon of sexual harassment. Bayless is accused of offering Faraji $1.5 million for sex, while Dixon is accused of groping the stylist’s buttocks.
Taylor herself is accused of dismissing Faraji’s sexual harassment complaints against Bayless and Fox Sports executive Dixon, allegedly telling the hairstylist to “get over it.” The popular talk show host and sister of former NFL star Jason Taylor also reportedly had affairs with both Dixon and Acho, which apparently caught Brown’s attention.
“No one wanted to fuck Jamele (sic), did they?” read a post on Brown’s X account that misspelled her first name.
Hill is not a Fox Sports employee and is currently a contributor to The Atlantic and a podcast host. But her growing distance from the sports media didn’t stop the outspoken Hill from responding to Brown’s rude comment.
Antonio Brown took aim at ex-ESPN star Jemele Hill (left) with his X-post referencing Joy Taylor
Antonio Brown misspelled Jemele Hill’s first name and made a vulgar comment about the writer
“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about being a community,” she wrote on X. “But you do.
“Please share with the class what it is like to be passed on because you have so much experience.”
Hill appears to be referring to the reputation of the financially strapped receiver among women.
Brown reportedly has seven children with four different partners, was once caught exposing himself to women in a Dubai swimming pool in 2022, and faced allegations of assault and sexual harassment, some of which he settled out of court.
But when Hill makes a comment about Brown’s reputation, he didn’t seem to mind.
“Really good comeback Jamele (sic)….,” Brown responded, misspelling her name again.
And Hill had more where that came from.
When a commenter on X tried to insult Hill, she all but slammed the door on the conversation.
“I personally saw Jamele at Sprouts in Culver City and understand why if true,” the critic wrote on X in response to Brown’s vulgar post.
“And that stupid a** ran to the internet because you weren’t crazy enough to say that to my face,” Hill replied.
Hill may have been referring to Brown’s history with women with her response to X
Regardless, the NFL outcast didn’t seem to have any problem with what Hill wrote on X
And Hill also hit back at another critic of X, who claimed to have seen her in person
Joy Taylor (left) sits next to Emmanuel Acho prior to an FS1 broadcast
Former Fox host Skip Bayless, 73, is pictured with his wife of eight years, Ernestine Sclafani
Noushin Faraji (pictured) has accused Skip Bayless of sexual harassment, claiming Joy Taylor discouraged her from reporting the allegations to Fox’s human resources department.
Hill and Brown aren’t the only sports media figures to fall out after the trial.
Conservative podcaster Jason Whitlock grilled his “debunked” ESPN rival Stephen A. Smith and “sexually degenerate” Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy for their opinions on the subject.
“Are you that immoral?” Whitlock, 57, said Tuesday, lecturing other sports media figures for their leniency toward defendants Taylor and Bayless. ‘Are you that stupid? Are you so controlled that you can’t see this for what it is? You are in the media. You know exactly what this is.’
Both Portnoy and Smith have since raised questions about the lawsuit and the plaintiff, albeit to varying degrees. They all denied having prior knowledge of the allegations, but while Smith was careful not to discredit Faraji, Portnoy defended Taylor by claiming the lawsuit was a “shakedown.” Furthermore, Smith insisted that his former co-host, Bayless, was far too “cheap” to offer $1.5 million for sex.
Whitlock took aim at both Smith and Portnoy on Tuesday, making a comment about Taylor’s cleavage and “peanut butter skin” for the second day in a row.
“Men, we must pursue justice, otherwise we will continue to fall and not be in a position to be leaders, and we will all end up giving in to women,” said Whitlock, an outspoken Christian and critic of feminism.
First he focused on Smith, who previously called Whitlock a “fat piece of shit” and “the worst human being I’ve ever known.”
“It is clear that Stephen A. Smith is, in my opinion, a fraudster, and it is comments like these that expose him as a fraudster,” Whitlock said.
He then ridiculed Smith by paraphrasing some of the ESPN host’s claims that he grew up on the tough streets of Hollis Queens.
“This nigga ain’t got no street smarts,” said Whitlock, who is also African-American. ‘No. Zero.’
Jason Whitlock blasted his ‘debunked’ ESPN rival Stephen A. Smith and ‘sexually degenerate’ Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy for their opinions on the Fox sports suit
Conservative Christian podcaster Jason Whitlock took aim at both Smith and Portnoy while commenting on Joy Taylor’s cleavage and “peanut butter skin” for the second day in a row
Whitlock was particularly upset that Smith would be sympathetic to Taylor, who was praised by the ESPN host for being an advocate for women’s empowerment.
“What do you think women’s empowerment is, Stephen A.?” Whitlock asked. “It’s using everything a woman has to offer to get ahead. It uses everything a woman has to offer to compete against men and control men.
“The people who take Stephen A. Smith seriously and think he represents some kind of black masculinity or black empowerment or something black say, you’re a clown if you can’t see through it,” Whitlock continued.
“This guy has been completely debunked; he is supported because he is a clown. He has no street smarts, no wisdom, his point of view is completely feminized.’
Then, before turning his attention to Portnoy, Whitlock explained his podcast in biblical terms.
“Listen, the reason I’m doing this show is I’m just trying to pass on to young people – and people my age, older – the wisdom that I’ve acquired, I’m just trying to share with you,” said Whitlock. ‘For me that is part of our calling as Christians.’
Whitlock remained entrenched behind his pulpit to address Portnoy.
“Dave Portnoy, there is no common sense here,” Whitlock said. ‘No difficult wisdom here. Dave Portnoy – and again, I don’t say this to belittle; I’m just speaking factually: he’s a sexual degenerate who can’t tame his lust for young women.
Whitlock then misinterpreted Portnoy’s objections to Faraji’s lawsuit.
“What did Joy Taylor do wrong here?” Whitlock said in a voice that mocked Portnoy’s. “She did her boss and Emmanuel Acho, and hopefully countless others, a favor. That’s a good thing. We need more of that.’
Whitlock then returned to his own Indiana accent.
“Dave Portnoy is not operating from the same Biblical morals as I and many of you,” Whitlock said. ‘Dave Portnoy is in favor of sexual degeneration.
“I used to be in favor of sexual degeneration… That’s rewarded,” he continued. ‘The Devil has a reward.
‘I’m not suggesting I’m better than Dave Portnoy. I propose…Dave Portnoy and I serve two different gods.’
Portnoy has since responded to Whitlock.
Portnoy posted on social media on Wednesday: “Is this fatzo still alive and well? Kudos guy. Thought you died years ago. Looks like I’ve lost my dead or alive pool.’
Fox released a brief statement, though Taylor, Bayless and Acho have remained silent on the matter.
“We take these allegations seriously and will allow the legal process to take its course,” the network statement said. “We have no further comment at this time.”
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Taylor and her foundation for comment. Attorneys for Bayless, Dixon and Taylor have not yet been made available to Los Angeles Superior Court. Additionally, an Acho spokesperson did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.