In a surprising turn of events, sports personality Charissa Thompson has backtracked on her recent admission of fabricating sideline reports during her time as a football sideline reporter.
Thompson had initially revealed on the "Pardon My Take" podcast that she would occasionally "make up" reports when coaches refused to speak to her or when time constraints pressured her during broadcasts.
The revelation stirred controversy, with fellow sideline reporters, including ESPN's Lisa Salters, expressing shock, disappointment, and disgust at Thompson's admission.
In her apology statement posted on Instagram, Thompson claimed she "chose the wrong words" and clarified that she did not actually fabricate stories while working as a sports broadcaster.
Thompson insisted that she had never lied or been unethical during her career, explaining that in the absence of coach-provided information, she would use observations from the first half to create her reports.
She provided an example, stating that if a team performed poorly on third downs in the first half, she would highlight it as an area for improvement without attributing the information to a specific player or coach.
The controversy had erupted when Thompson, now the host of "Thursday Night Football," admitted to the questionable practice of creating reports based on incomplete or fictional information.
Several prominent sideline reporters, including Molly McGrath, Jenna Laine, Tracy Wolfson, and Laura Okmin, criticized Thompson for her approach to reporting.
Thompson, 41, who had worked for various networks, including Fox, for years before transitioning to her current hosting role, emphasized that her intention was never to deceive viewers.
The incident has sparked discussions about journalistic ethics in sports reporting and raised questions about the credibility of sideline reports, prompting Thompson to issue an apology and clarification.