January 31, 2025

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Front Office Sports

Weeks after FOS broke news of a wide-ranging lawsuit against Fox, Skip Bayless, and Joy Taylor, another has reportedly emerged: Former host Julie Stewart-Binks alleges that executive Charlie Dixon sexually assaulted her in 2016. Here’s what we know.

—A.J. Perez, Michael McCarthy, and Ryan Glasspiegel

Former Fox Host Julie Stewart-Binks Alleges Network Exec Sexually Assaulted Her

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former FS1 host Julie Stewart-Binks alleged she was sexually assaulted by network exec Charlie Dixon in the second lawsuit filed against Fox and Dixon over the last month. 

Stewart-Binks alleged in the lawsuit obtained by Front Office Sports that Dixon invited her to a hotel room in Marina del Rey, Calif., in January 2016 where the executive “forcefully held down and his body pressed against hers” and then “tried to force his tongue into her mouth.” In 2017, Stewart-Binks said she detailed Dixon’s conduct to Fox Sports human resources, and the network “egregiously made the deliberate decision to protect Dixon and allow a sexual predator to remain an executive at Fox for nearly a decade.” 

“These allegations are from over eight years ago,” Fox Sports said in a statement to Front Office Sports. “At the time, we promptly hired a third-party firm to investigate and addressed the matter based on their findings.”

According to the 22-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, a colleague of Stewart-Binks’ told her on Jan. 25 that Dixon was still working at FS1’s studios and that he said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Stewart-Binks, 37, worked at FS1 from its launch in 2013 through April 2016 when her contract wasn’t renewed. The Athletic was the first to report on the civil complaint before it was filed in court.  

Stewart-Binks said she was contacted by Fox Sports HR in 2017 after a claim was reported against Fox Sports President Jamie Horowitz, who was fired in the summer of 2017. Horowitz denied the allegation. Stewart-Binks reportedly said in the probe that there had been no wrongdoing by Horowitz, but reported the alleged misconduct from Dixon at the time. 

Dixon, Horowitz’s top lieutenant, took over as the head of content for FS1 and FS2 in the wake of Horowitz’s departure and has held that position since. 

“That was sex, drugs, affairs, and now it’s more old-fashioned misogyny,” a source close to the situation told FOS. “It is not a building for women’s advancement, professionally or mentally. There’s exceptions, but not many.”

Stewart-Binks said she is also still scarred by a segment in which Patriots and Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski gave her a lapdance during a special at Super Bowl week in 2016 (a scene she said was pre-planned by producers in an attempt to go viral).

“I will spend my entire life trying to make up for this,” Stewart-Binks told The Athletic, fighting back tears. “I will die trying to make up for this moment that’s clearly not who I am.”

Since her time at FS1, Stewart-Binks has been an on-air talent for ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, TNT, Barstool Sports, SNY, and Fubo TV. She also worked as an Olympic correspondent for the CBC in Canada. 

FOS was the first outlet to report about the Jan. 3 complaint filed by former longtime Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji. Dixon, Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, former FS1 host Skip Bayless, and FS1 host Joy Taylor are also defendants in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

Stewart-Binks detailed in her lawsuit how she met with Dixon at a bar at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey before the alleged sexual assault occurred. Dixon asked Stewart-Binks what she wanted to do with her career and Stewart-Binks responded she wanted to host, according to the lawsuit. 

“You’re not a good host,” Dixon allegedly told Stewart-Binks. “Joy Taylor is a good host.”

Dixon, who had been drinking, then invited Stewart-Binks to his room to show her the view, according to the lawsuit. 

Stewart-Binks contacted and ultimately retained the same two lawyers—Rana Ayazi and Devin Abney—who represent Faraji. 

“How is Charlie still there,” an unnamed individual texted Stewart-Binks after FOS reported on Faraji’s complaint. “He’s literally the biggest dirt bag I’ve ever worked for.”

In her lawsuit, Faraji alleged that Dixon committed sexual battery during a birthday party held for Taylor at a bar and restaurant in West Hollywood in January 2017. According to the lawsuit, Dixon “placed his arm on Ms. Faraji’s lower back” and asked her if she wanted a tequila shot.” Faraji said she felt uncomfortable by the “unsolicited touching” and politely declined the drink offer before Dixon “then moved his hand lower and started rubbing her body and grabbing her buttocks.”

According to the complaint, Faraji told Taylor about the incident. 

“Ms. Faraji did not know who to turn to, but as she knew Ms. Taylor was sleeping with

Mr. Dixon, she turned to her, “ Faraji’s lawyers wrote in the lawsuit. “Surprisingly, Ms. Taylor responded to ‘get over it’ and explained that she herself only had her job because of Mr. Dixon and that Ms. Faraji only had her job because Ms. Taylor requested her. “She warned that Mr. Dixon could take both away.”
Faraji was let go by Fox Sports in August 2024, around the same time Undisputed, the FS1 show featuring Bayless, was canceled. By that time, she claimed in the lawsuit that she had brought toxic workplace concerns she and other women at Fox Sports to the network’s HR department.

Chiefs Fatigue? Why Some Aren’t Buying the Hype

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Hot takes about whether NFL refs favor quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are everywhere. But the media argument that’s starting to annoy me the most is the “we’re so lucky to bear witness to Chiefs greatness” narrative.

After covering the 32–29 Chiefs victory over the Bills in the AFC title game, CBS Sports sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson took to X/Twitter to chide the team’s haters. “I feel for Josh Allen and the Bills but also don’t enjoy hearing all the hate on the Chiefs,” she tweeted. “I witnessed Brady and the Pats dominance first hand and what KC is doing feels just like that. Let’s take a moment and appreciate what Mahomes and the Chiefs have accomplished.”

Nate Burleson of CBS’s The NFL Today went further. “If you’re not a Chiefs fan, that’s O.K. But resist the urge to fall for the narrative that we’re tired of seeing them win, that we might be fatigued of watching K.C. go to the Super Bowl over and over again,” Burleson said. “You are witnessing greatness. And just be happy that you are alive to be there to see it.”

We know the Chiefs, Mahomes, and coach Andy Reid are historically great. Reid’s Chiefs are gunning for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl win. Mahomes is leading Kansas City to its fifth Super Bowl appearance in the past six seasons. As I’ve written before, the 29-year-old QB is my favorite player to watch in the NFL.

But we should be happy to be “alive” to watch the Chiefs? Isn’t that a bit much? Besides, don’t tell me what I should think. You can have your opinion. I can have mine. But you can’t have both.

It’s not personal; I respect Wolfson and Burleson. They’re great at their jobs. But I disagree with them telling fans how to root. If fans choose to love the Chiefs, and cheer for them during Super Bowl LIX, that’s great. If they choose to hate the Chiefs, and cheer for the Eagles, that’s O.K., too. You can bet plenty of Chiefs fans hated Tom Brady when he beat their team in the 2019 AFC championship game with the Patriots, then again in the 2021 Super Bowl with the Buccaneers. To his credit, Mahomes realizes that dynasties are naturally praised, envied, and feared at the same time.

“If you win a lot and that causes you to be a villain, then I’m O.K. with it,” Mahomes told the media. “I’m going to enjoy playing the game and try to win as much as possible.”

Whether the Chiefs are hated or beloved, they draw attention. They’ve been the NFL’s most-watched TV team over the last two seasons, dethroning the Cowboys. It’s hard to argue people aren’t paying attention.

My sense is Chiefs defenders would rather draw the focus away from the furious debate about whether refs are rigging calls in favor of K.C. Take Sunday’s dramatic Chiefs-Bills rematch, which averaged a monster 57.7 million viewers.

The eagerly anticipated game came only one week after ESPN’s Troy Aikman publicly questioned Mahomes flopping for flags against the Texans. Both Aikman and Fox’s Tom Brady called for the league to crack down in the offseason. On Sunday, the zebras again made several controversial calls that seemed to favor the Chiefs.

You can read the rest of Michael McCarthy’s column on the Chiefs, their defenders, and the perception the league is favoring Kansas City on our website.

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Greg Olsen Knew Tom Brady Was Looming at Fox All Along

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As Greg Olsen continues to share his restlessness over not being on the top Fox NFL announce team, it bears mentioning that the network did not mistreat him amid his demotion in favor of Tom Brady. 

“In my mind, I’m going to call big-time games again,” Olsen told the Charlotte Observer earlier this week. “I’m going to call Super Bowl games again. I just don’t know the timeline or the venue.” Olsen also spoke to The Athletic recently about how his goal is to return to top games.

The timeline has gotten muddied with the passage of time, but Olsen’s role alongside Kevin Burkhardt on the network’s top team was always understood to be temporary. Fox announced the blockbuster deal with Brady, to begin after he retired from the NFL, before Olsen was promoted to the top spot. To be sure, Olsen excelled in the role, but he knew when he took the job that he would be keeping the seat warm for Brady.

While there’s been ample speculation that Brady will leave the broadcast booth as he assumes the role of minority owner and key decision-maker with the Raiders, Brady has been adamant that he is returning to Fox next year. 

The former NFL tight end said in the interview that he has two years left on his deal, and acknowledged his beef in this situation is not with Fox or Brady. 

“It’s pretty clear that the path, the upward trajectory as far as Fox goes, probably is a non-factor. … I don’t know what the future holds. I enjoy working at Fox,” Olsen said. “Fox has been very good to me. They know. I’ve been very honest with them that I’m not content just calling one o’clock regional games for the rest of my career.”

He compared the situation to luxury travel, where you think you can stay in any hotel until you get a taste of really nice ones.

“To go from calling two years of the top games—a Super Bowl and then last year through the NFC championship,” Olsen said, referring to the 2022 and 2023 seasons. “And now this year, your season just ends in Week 18, and you’re home like everybody is, sitting on the couch watching it.”

There’s also the pay—the New York Post reported that Olsen’s salary was $10 million on the top announcing team, and $3 million on the second team.

The trouble for Olsen is there is no immediate top spot to jump to. Troy Aikman and Kirk Herbstreit are signed for the next two years at ESPN and Amazon Prime Video, respectively, while Tony Romo (CBS) and Cris Collinsworth (NBC) are signed for even longer.

Olsen’s best bet could be if an expanded 18-game regular season leads to the carve-out of a new rights package at a platform like Netflix, YouTube TV, or Warner Bros. Discovery, but that spot wouldn’t land him in the Super Bowl rotation.

ESPN Adds Udonis Haslem

Jun 7, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem (40) during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in game three of the 2023 NBA Finals at Kaseya Center.

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

ESPN has taken the advice of Magic Johnson—and hired Udonis Haslem as a full-time analyst for its NBA coverage.

The 44-year-old has signed a one-year contract to appear on studio shows such as NBA Today, Stephen A. Smith’s First Take, Mike Greenberg’s Get Up, and SportsCenter for the rest of this season, ESPN confirmed. The ex-Heat power forward has been appearing on its air for the last month or so. The deal could extend beyond, say sources.

“ESPN – You definitely have an excellent team of ex-players already with Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams, Tim Legler, and JJ Reddick [sic]…but you should hire Udonis Haslem permanently!” Johnson tweeted last May. “He’s been spectacular at breaking down the NBA playoffs – from the players’ game and mentality, to the x’s and o’s, as well as the philosophy of the game…Udonis has done it with intelligence, charisma, and flair. And he’s funny too!”

The Miami native won three NBA championships during his 20-year career with the Heat. After retiring in 2023, he took a front office job with his hometown franchise.

For more on ESPN adding Udonis Haslem to its NBA coverage, read Michael McCarthy’s full story here.

Around the Dial

Akron Beacon Journal

  • Jameis Winston will be a correspondent for Fox Sports Digital during Super Bowl week in New Orleans, FOS first reported.
  • Revolt announced a new weekly show with Brandon Marshall’s I Am Athlete platform hosted by Marshall and Kayla Nicole.
  • Colin Cowherd confirmed the FOS report that he is moving to Chicago, with Fox committing to building out a new studio for The Herd at Big Ten Network.
  • On Feb. 5, ESPN will celebrate Black History Month with an all-Black-staffed telecast of Spurs vs. Hawks. Mark Jones, Richard Jefferson, and Lisa Salters will be on the call. More than 40 Black staffers will contribute to coverage.
  • The new basketball podcast T’d Up with Pierre Andresen ranked in the top 10 of sports podcasts on Spotify for its debut episode.

One Big Fig

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

$8 million

That’s the record sum Fox Sports is pocketing for more than 10 in-game spots during Super LIX on Feb. 9, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

Fox EVP of sales Mark Evans said broadcast TV is back en vogue as the cable bundle erodes. After setting viewership records two years in a row, the Super Bowl is a must for marketers looking to reach easily the biggest TV audience of the year. 

Evans has seen about 75% of the commercials in advance. He says the two fastest-growing categories are artificial intelligence and pharmaceuticals. There will be fewer ads, however, from movie studios and streamers. Viewers should expect the typical dose of celebrities, humor, cute kids, and pets. 

“There are a couple that, I think, are laugh-out-loud funny and will be well-received,” says Evans. “But I also would say there are multiple spots that go back to Americana roots to tug at the heartstrings. Ultimately, they have a message of unification in what’s been a pretty fractured political environment.”

Despite the NFL’s 2% viewership drop during the regular season, Evans cited several factors for strong ad sales. As the cable bundle collapses, some advertisers are shifting dollars back into broadcast. Additionally, the U.S. presidential election also injected additional money into the market. 

Question of the Day

Will Greg Olsen be the No. 1 analyst for an NFL rights-holder during the 2026 season?

 Yes   No 

Wednesday’s result: 58% of you thought Colin Cowherd was the most important person at FS1.

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Written by A.J. Perez, Michael McCarthy, Ryan Glasspiegel
Edited by Or Moyal, Catherine Chen

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