Michelle Beadle speaks out after accidentally using N-word live on air

Michelle Beadle had a big slip of the tongue while live on the air this week, and now she is addressing it.

The veteran sports host Beadle was anchoring FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” over the weekend along with co-hosts Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams, two former NBA players. During a discussion about the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, Beadle had a major misspeak.

Instead of saying “Nuggets,” Beadle accidentally used the N-word instead.

Here is the video (in which Beadle immediately corrected herself and played off the moment by saying, “Don’t try to get me with that”).

NBA analyst Michelle Beadle accidentally uses the N-word during broadcast while talking about the Nuggets. pic.twitter.com/vA1nEupoEE

— Complex (@Complex) November 9, 2024

In a post to her Instagram Story later in the day Saturday, Beadle addressed the incident.

“The moment you say ‘Nuggets’ incorrectly on television and your entire career flashes … while your co-hosts die,” Beadle wrote, along with a clip of the moment set to the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” theme song. “Broadcasting students: slow down. And enunciate.”

Beadle, who rose to national prominence thanks to her two separate stints at ESPN, also worked for NBC prior to joining FanDuel. We recently heard as well that she was reportedly in talks with another major network, but it appears that nothing actually came of that.

While Beadle clearly just made a mistake, her on-air incident is reminiscent of a similar controversy that occurred several years ago. Back in 2020, an NBA team announcer ended up getting let go for a social media post in which he also used the N-word instead of the word “Nuggets.”