Sage Steele Says Candace Owens Will Be 'Just Fine' After Daily Wire Firing

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele has shared her belief with Newsweek that Candace Owens will be "just fine," days after the conservative firebrand was fired from the Daily Wire.

Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing announced in a post shared on X, formerly Twitter, on the morning of March 22 that the platform and Owens had ended their relationship." Owens reposted the statement on her own X account that day.

While Boreing did not elaborate on the move, it has been widely documented in the months since the Israel-Hamas war began that Owens was at loggerheads with the Daily Wire's editor emeritus Ben Shapiro over their opposing points of view on the conflict.

A source close to Owens shared with Newsweek last week that the political commentator is set to speak out on the matter as she prepares to continue her work on a platform of her own.

Speaking with Newsweek as she promoted her new podcast The Sage Steele Show on Bill Maher's newly launched Club Random Studios platform, Steele said she sees a bright future ahead for "brilliant" Owens.

"You know, it's just been fascinating to watch her career flourish," said Steele, whose departure from ESPN was also under acrimonious terms. "I noticed her many years ago, I think when everybody else did, and she's a brilliant woman. I finally got to meet her for the first time at UFC 299 in Miami, a couple of weeks ago, and [she was] as brilliant in person."

Steele, who has only more recently been open about her own conservative views, said that she has been likened to Owens in the past.

"You know, it's funny, I have been compared to her quite often. Because God forbid, two women of color have more conservative viewpoints. I mean, it's so funny," Owens said, before recalling an infamous headline from 2021 that sought to criticize her after she spoke out against ESPN's vaccine mandates in an interview and questioned former President Barack Obama identifying as a Black man.

"Deadspin, when my controversy really was brewing, they posted [a headline that read]: 'Sage Steele, the Black Candace Owens.' There's a lot there to unpack, right? Candace and I actually laughed about that and many other headlines that had been out there."

Steele is biracial, born to a Black father and white mother, while Owens is Black. Following an uproar, Deadspin altered its headline on Steele in its "Idiot of the Year" list to read: "Sage Steele, the Candace Owens of ESPN."

Still, Steele said that being likened to Owens is by no means an insult.

"I mean, I take it as a compliment to be compared to someone who is so bold and so educated and, to me, brilliant," Steele said. "Whether you agree with her opinions or not, she's a smart woman who knows exactly what she wants.

"I haven't followed the inside of what happened [between Owens and Daily Wire] too much. You know, obviously, I felt like things were brewing for several months. But Candace Owens is going to be just fine. And so is the Daily Wire."

Owens has faced criticism from a number of her fellow conservatives after speaking out against Israel amid its war with Hamas, which started after the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel in October. Swaths of Gaza have subsequently been razed in retaliatory strikes from Israel, and the vast majority of the Strip's 2.3 million residents forced to flee their homes.

Roughly a week into the Israel-Hamas conflict, Owens fought with conservative journalist Megyn Kelly on X, wrangling over whether college students protesting for Palestinians should be "blacklisted."

In a November 6 episode of her Candace Owens Podcast titled "Am I Anti-Semitic?" Owens sat down with Jewish comedian Ami Kozak to discuss the conflict and again drew criticism for asserting during the conversation that there are "Muslim quarters" that dictate where Muslim citizens are allowed to live in Jerusalem.

A clip emerged on social media in November that showed Shapiro, who is Jewish, answering questions in front of a crowd. He described Owens' commentary on the conflict in Gaza as "disgraceful."

"I think that her faux sophistication on these particular issues has been ridiculous," Shapiro added. "Everybody can see the moves that she's making and the things that she's saying, and I find them disreputable."

Owens addressed the comments during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that went live on X days later. "I am totally open to people having a difference in opinion," Owens said. "I would hope that amongst colleagues that it would always be civil disagreement. I would never at a private event stand on a table and talk badly about Ben."

Meanwhile, Steele launched her own podcast under comedian Maher's new banner on March 27, months after her departure from ESPN was made official.

Back in October 2021, it was reported that ESPN had removed anchor Steele from its programming for a week following a positive test for COVID-19, and also for remarks she made about Obama and vaccine mandates.

Steele appeared on the podcast Uncut With Jay Cutler in an episode that was released on September 29, 2021. During her talk with Cutler, a former NFL quarterback, Steele questioned Obama's racial identity.

"I'm like, 'Well, congratulations to the president. That's his thing.' I think that's fascinating considering his Black dad was nowhere to be found, but his white mom and grandma raised him," Steele said.

Additionally, Steele criticized EPSN on Cutler's show for implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. She told the host she received the vaccine out of fear of repercussions from the Walt Disney Company, which is ESPN's parent company.

"I respect everyone's decision. I really do. But to mandate it is sick, and it's scary to me in many ways," Steele said on the podcast. "I'm not surprised it got to this point, especially with Disney. I mean, a global company like that."

While Steele later issued a public apology, she was suspended from ESPN with pay. In April 2022, Steele filed a lawsuit against ESPN, accusing the network of taking opportunities away from her and degrading her career. The lawsuit was settled by both parties in August 2023, at which time Steele exited the network.

Speaking with Newsweek this week, Steele said that while she "loved" working at ESPN, she's now embracing a new way of life when it comes to her work.

"The only thing that's really changed now is the ability to speak up, speak out, and realizing how much there is—and maybe most importantly, realizing that there's so many other people who just want to think freely without being criticized," she said.

The Sage Steele Show's inaugural episode, featuring an interview with UFC CEO and president Dana White, is out now.