Joy Taylor will reportedly be back on FS1 airwaves this week.
Per a report by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the Speak host will return to her evening show on Monday following a two-week absence. Taylor remains embroiled in controversy amid a workplace misconduct lawsuit filed by a former Fox Sports hairstylist that alleges the FS1 host discriminated against her on the basis of ethnicity. The lawsuit also alleges that Taylor had sexual relations with FS1 executive Charlie Dixon, who is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, in order to advance her career.
Taylor’s return follows reports that she had been “sidelined” by the network. It’s unclear whether her absence was connected to the lawsuit or a separate issue, as Fox Sports has not provided comment on her hiatus.
In the interim, Speak has been hosted by its other regular panelists, including Paul Pierce and Keyshawn Johnson.
Following the lawsuit’s initial filing, Taylor’s legal team issued a response to the allegations suggesting that emotional distress experienced by the Fox Sports hairstylist, Noushin Faraji, was a result of “outside factors” rather than a direct result of Taylor’s behavior.
Fox’s motion to move the case to a federal court recently failed, meaning the Los Angeles Superior Court will continue to hold jurisdiction over the proceedings.
Shortly after Faraji’s lawsuit was filed, former FS1 host Julie Stewart-Binks filed an additional lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct by Dixon. The FS1 executive was placed on administrative leave last month.