Espn Drops Spike Lee’s Docuseries On Colin Kaepernick, Network And Filmmaker Say

Director Spike Lee’s multi-part documentary bid for ESPN Films astir erstwhile NFL backmost Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a nationalist statement erstwhile he protested group injustice astir a decade ago, will not beryllium released, nan filmmaker and ESPN said.

“ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee person collectively decided to nary longer proceed pinch this task arsenic a consequence of definite imaginative differences,” ESPN said successful a connection to Reuters connected Saturday. “Despite not reaching finality, we admit each nan difficult activity and collaboration that went into this film.”

Lee told Reuters connected Friday that nan bid was not going to beryllium released.

“It’s not coming out. That’s each I tin say,” Lee said connected nan reddish carpet up of nan Harold and Carole Pump Foundation dinner, a fundraiser for crab investigation and treatment, successful Beverly Hills, California.

Asked why, nan Oscar-winning head declined to elaborate, citing a nondisclosure agreement. “I can’t. I signed a nondisclosure. I can’t talk astir it”.

Kaepernick ignited a nationalist statement successful 2016 erstwhile he knelt during nan US nationalist anthem to protestation systemic racism and constabulary brutality. The 37-year-old has not played successful nan NFL since that season. Many experts believed his governmental activism, which triggered a movement that drew nan ire of Donald Trump, was nan cardinal logic teams were wary of signing him. He later revenge a collusion grievance against squad owners, which was settled pinch nan convention successful 2019.

Representatives for Kaepernick did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Production connected nan bid began successful 2022, pinch Walt Disney-owned ESPN touting it arsenic a “full, first-person account” of Kaepernick’s travel that would characteristic extended interviews pinch nan player.

Last year, Puck News reported nan task faced delays amid disagreements betwixt Kaepernick and Lee complete nan guidance of nan film.

The bid is co-produced by Jemele Hill, a erstwhile ESPN newsman who was suspended by nan web successful 2017, aft she suggested that fans who disagreed pinch disapproval of NFL players taking a knee from nan proprietor of nan Dallas Cowboys should boycott nan team’s advertisers. A period earlier, she had enraged nan White House erstwhile she tweeted: “Donald Trump is simply a achromatic supremacist who has mostly surrounded himself w/ different achromatic supremacists.”

The network’s determination to driblet nan bid comes arsenic nan Trump management has sued broadcasters that reported critically connected nan president and pushed backstage businesses and schools to extremity diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that nan authorities now defines arsenic unlawful favoritism against achromatic Americans.

In December, Disney’s ABC News agreed to salary $15m to a instauration and depository to beryllium established by Trump arsenic portion of a colony successful a defamation suit Trump revenge against nan network.