Jeremy Roenick, the former NHL player and hockey analyst, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against NBC Sports, which fired him after he made a “threesome” comment about a co-worker during a Barstool Sports podcast. In the lawsuit, Roenick alleges that he was held to a different standard than other commentators.
According to The Wrap, Roenick claims that he told an NBC Sports executive about commentary that Johnny Weir, an analyst and former Olympic figure skater, made at the time of the 2018 Winter Olympics “regarding the body parts of ice skaters.”
But in response, Roenick alleges, the executive said Weir “is gay and can say whatever,” reports the news agency.
Deadline reports that Roenick also mentioned a recent video between NBC Sports commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, both of whom reportedly made remarks about body parts when talking about a figure skater.
Deadline writes:
Lipinski posted the video to her Instagram account May 29 but has since taken it [d]own. In the video, she made a reference to a camel toe when she introduced Tennell, saying, “Nice camel spin into a toe loop.” Tennell had not attempted either move.
Weir and actress Elizabeth Banks then joked about Weir cheating on his “wife,” Lipinski, after Weir said of Tennell, “I’m really hoping we get to see her quads during this program.” Again, Tennell had not attempted the move.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Roenick was suspended back in December after he made remarks about Kathyrn Tappen, a coworker and friend, on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast regarding a trip to Portugal.
I went with my wife and Kathryn Tappen. I was the king of Portugal; I swear to God … Bro, when you walk into every place and you have two blonde bombshells on each side and nobody — I’m telling you, your chest pops up a lot more … It was so funny, I was in the pool, we’re in the pool one day in Portugal, we’re down in the Algarve, nice little hotel, beautiful resort, and it’s a small little pool, and I’m swimming with my wife and Kathryn, and they’ve got their bikinis on, and they look f***ing smokin’, right? A** and boobs everywhere, it’s great. It’s great. By the way, if you’re gonna go with two blondes, go someplace in the summer where the pool is.
Kathryn’s great … I’ll tell you a story. All of a sudden this older lady was sitting there with her husband and she’s staring at us the whole time. And finally I think her curiosity rose to a level where she’s like, “I gotta figure out what the hell’s going on here.” And she walked right into the pool and comes right up to us to say, “Okay. What’s the situation? Tell me what’s going on?” I just said, “I’m having a very, very wonderful trip.” That’s what I said to her. And she’s like, “Are they both with you?” And I said, “Yes, they are.” And Kathryn says, “Will you shut up!” She starts yellin’ at me.
I play it off like we’re going to bed together, every night, the three of us; my wife and Kathryn are very close friends, and they scream and yell at me, but listen, it’s worth the yelling. There’s no question. Absolutely. If it really came to fruition, that would really be good, but it’s never going to happen.
Later in the podcast, Roenick referred to former teammate and NBC Sports analyst Patrick Sharp as “so beautiful,” and jokingly said “I’d have to think about it if he asked me. … I wouldn’t say no right away,” reported the Daily Mail. In reference to Sharp, Roenick also said “it’s good to have a beautiful face that talks well that knows the game because it’s totally the opposite when me and” Anson Carter, another NBC Sports analyst, “get on there.”
After the podcast aired, Tappen responded to the reports about his remarks: “While Jeremy and I continue to be good friends, what he said was unacceptable, especially among workplace colleagues. I do not condone his comments.”
According to Variety, Roenick was confirmed as fired two months later, but NBC Sports did not comment on the firing further.