Total Pro Sports
Joy Taylor has finally broken her silence on the bombshell lawsuit filed back in December that made claims of her sleeping with colleagues to further her career at FOX Sports.
The sports analyst was named along with Skip Bayless and Charlie Dixon, with a former hairstylist for the network, Noushin Faraji, accusing her of verbal abuse.
Taylor was also said to have slept with Dixon, a network executive who has since been dismissed, and co-host Emmanuel Acho to gain favor and climb up the ladder.
Lawyers initially spoke on her behalf, claiming the suit was part of a deliberate attempt to leverage media attention for financial gain. But Taylor has now addressed the matter herself, confessing it brought about “dark times” while praising her support group for getting her through it.
“I won’t say that there were not dark times, but I’m very blessed to have an amazing family and amazing friends and mentors and an amazing team,” she said during a recent interview on ‘The Breakfast Club.’
“People that know me and have known me for my whole life reminding me of who I am and what I deserve.”
Taylor said she dealt with grief and other emotions after news of the suit broke, suggesting that she’s still not quite over it yet.
‘I’ll say, I’ve been through a lot of traumatic things in my life. A lot. And I think any time you go through a trauma or a grieving period of something, you can’t decide who you are when it’s happening,” she continued.
“And that’s been the biggest thing for me. It’s this or that. I’m working on it, but it’s this or that. And I know years from now I’ll look back, and I will feel differently than how I feel right now.
“I’m trying to be patient with myself in that way, because it’s a lot to adjust to. It’s a new reality. And I’m trying to choose myself and be gentle with myself in that sense.”
Faraji, who accused Skip and Charlie of sexual harassment, also claimed that Taylor told her to “get over it” after she confided in her.
Despite the allegations, Taylor continued showing up to work and appearing on various podcasts. She says it was “intentional” to keep making appearances because she knows herself and is well aware that such risks come with the territory.
“When you get into the business, that is the risk we take,” she remarked. “Of putting ourselves in front of the camera, of putting yourself out there. That things, at some point, might not be the best for you. I mean, what’s meant for me is still coming.”
It will be interesting to see how the suit plays out in court.
