After nine years at Fox Sports 1, Joy Taylor is departing the network. The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported that Fox Sports 1 was cancelling three shows: the Taylor-led afternoon program Speak, and the morning programs Breakfast Ball & The Facility. All three shows struggled to gain popularity and a sustained audience, and the network will look to create new programs to replace the programs that were cancelled.
Taylor's departure adds to the ongoing headlines this year surrounding allegations made in a lawsuit by former Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji. Taylor, along with Skip Bayless, was named as a defendant in one of two lawsuits against Charlie Dixon, a former Fox Sports programming executive who was fired in April. Dixon, who was fired from the network in April, oversaw the creation of the three shows during his tenure.
In the lawsuit involving Taylor, Faraji accused Dixon of sexual battery and claimed that Taylor told her to “get over it.” It was also alleged that Taylor had a sexual relationship with Dixon, which Faraji claims led to her receiving more prominent roles at the network.
In February, Taylor denied the allegations, stating in her filing that she “denies each and every allegation against her.” She argued that any emotional distress Faraji experienced was due to “outside factors” unrelated to her accusations. The defense also asserted that Faraji’s claimed emotional distress was “not severe.”
Despite the allegations, Taylor continued to appear regularly on the Speak program, aside from a brief hiatus in the spring. Her future seems increasingly tied to her digital media projects, particularly her podcast Two Personal. Initially co-hosted with veteran sports journalist Taylor Rooks, the podcast was created as a platform for the two to share their experiences as sports media professionals and navigate the ups and downs of dating and daily life. However, just a few months after its launch, Rooks quietly left the show, and Taylor rebranded it as a solo project.
Initially focused on relationships and their personal lives, Taylor has since used the platform to discuss various other topics in the news, such as politics and pop culture.
