ESPN host Maria Taylor reveals why she publicly shared racist message sent to her family: 'I want to expose hate'
An ESPN host says she plans to continue "speaking [her] truth" after sharing a hate-filled message she said was texted to her family members.
Maria Taylor, an analyst, reporter and host who joined ESPN in 2014, took to Twitter Monday to share the message she says her mom, dad and brother received.
The message, which included crass language, described Taylor as a "trash affirmative action hire," among other things.
"So to be clear texting my father, mother, and brother this hatred does NOT scare me and it will not keep me from doing my job," Taylor wrote on Twitter, in the same tweet where she shared the message. "See you this weekend in Minnesota College Football Fans...I missed you!!!"
Taylor, whose tweet was shared nearly 2,000 times, said she hoped to "expose hate" by sharing the message with her more than 240,000 followers on Twitter.
"The text messages that were sent to my family were disheartening and upsetting. I have learned to develop thick skin throughout my broadcasting career, but I do not wish to normalize hatred and vitriol especially when it affects my family," Taylor said in a statement to ABC News. "I want to expose hate and let people know that they are not alone if they have experienced something similar."
"I will always feel as though the best way to fight abhorrent behavior and obscene comments is to continue speaking my truth, showing up to work with a positive attitude, and striving for excellence," she added. "I'm thankful for the outpouring of support which is a continual reminder of how love can overpower hate."
The message sent to Taylor's family members included references to Buffalo Bills quarterback Jake Fromm, 22, who apologized in June after a private text message conversation surfaced in which he used the phrase "elite white people."
Taylor spoke out in response to Fromm's comments in a segment on ESPN's "First Take," saying, "Every time [prejudice] is revealed, and it's someone, say, you love or you've enjoyed covering, it hurts to your core. It's a death by 1,000 razor cuts. And that's how I feel when I heard about Jake Fromm."
One of the text messages she said her family received that referenced Fromm read, "Fromm speaking his mind is how 95% of all white athletes talk and feel …"
After sharing the message on Twitter, Taylor received support from two of her ESPN colleagues, Elle Duncan and Shelley Smith.
"When they go low you just keep going to work!," Duncan tweeted, while also sharing a "She is my queen" GIF.
"Always have your back," tweeted Smith.
Disney is the parent company of ESPN and ABC News.
