Sports journalist Charissa Thompson sparked an uproar after she said she used to fabricate coaches' comments when she worked as an NFL sideline reporter — but later walked back her statement claiming she never "lied" or did anything "unethical."
“I’ve said this before, so I haven’t been fired for saying it, but I’ll say it again. I would make up the report sometimes because A, the coach wouldn’t come out at halftime or it was too late and I was like, ‘I didn’t want to screw up the report,’ so I was like, ‘I’m just going to make this up,’” the 41-year-old said on Wednesday’s episode of the “Pardon My Take” podcast.
NBC News has reached out to Thompson, Fox and Amazon for comment.
Thompson's comments quickly sparked backlash from peers in her field. She addressed the controversy on Friday, writing on Instagram, "I have never lied about anything or been unethical during my time as a sports broadcaster."
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
"I have a responsibility to myself and my employers to clarify what is being reported. When on a podcast this week, I said I would make up reports early in my career when I worked as a sideline reporter before I transitioned to my current host role," she said. "Working in media I understand how important words are and I chose the wrong words to describe the situation. I’m sorry."
Read the full story on NBCNews.com.
