Fox Sports Florida cuts ties with sideline reporter after racist remarks
Fox Sports Florida reporter Emily Austen has been pulled from her assignments after recording a video in which she made a variety of offensive remarks.
Austen, a sideline reporter for the Rays and Magic on Fox Sports Sun and Fox Sports Florida, appeared on a video for Bartstool Sports and made disparaging remarks about Kevin Love, and several ethnic groups.
“She was not speaking on behalf of FOX Sports, nor do we condone any of the statements she made in the video,” Fox Sports Florida senior vice-president Steve Tello said in a statement to Deadspin. “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 video was recorded using Facebook Live, which archives the video after the broadcast has concluded, but was deleted from Barstool’s Facebook page. “[W]e (Hank probably) somehow deleted the video which was supposed to be edited for the actual show today,” Bartstool founder Dave Portnoy wrote in a post on the site.
The video has been preserved on Vimeo, where it has been viewed more than 35,000 times.
“I didn’t even know Mexicans were that smart,” Austen said at one point (you can watch here, beginning at the 25:30 mark). “You guys know that the Chinese guy is always the smartest guy in math class.”
Soon after she told a story about “the way I used to talk to the Jews” while working as a waitress in Boca Raton, Fla.
Austen was a contract employee, paid per appearance, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
- Dan Gartland
