The sports media landscape’s been flipping tables lately. As Prime gains traction and ESPN plays catch-up, Fox Sports decided to shake things up. In a surprise move, they canceled their flagship show Speak!, parting ways with longtime host Joy Taylor. That alone raised eyebrows, but it also spelled the end of one of TV’s wildest combos—Speak! and Paul Pierce. The former Celtics star, known for his bold and often outrageous takes, just lost his main mic. With that, the industry lost one of its last unfiltered personalities. It’s chaos out here, and suddenly, sports talk feels a little too quiet.
Speak! — the Fox Sports panel show featuring Taylor, Pierce, and Keyshawn Johnson — got the axe in July 2025, part of a major shake-up that also scrapped The Facility and Breakfast Ball. Despite its big names, Speak! never really found its groove in the ratings game. FS1 pulled the plug as part of a full-on daytime reset. Joy Taylor, a familiar FS1 face for nearly a decade, saw her contract quietly expire without renewal. Her departure marked the end of an era — and left fans wondering what’s next for the network, and for her.
That’s not what Paul Pierce would’ve wanted — and definitely not what fans hoped for either. Watching the Celtics legend drop wild, hilarious takes on live TV was entertainment gold. But with Speak! gone, that era might be over. Now, we cope. Just like Paul. How’s he dealing with the loss? In classic Truth fashion — travelling. Or, as he cheekily put it himself in 3 short words, “My love language.”
But was the whole ordeal really justified? Joy Taylor’s exit might’ve felt sudden to viewers, but the writing had been on the wall for a while. The deal had been simmering beneath the surface — ratings dips, internal reshuffles, and shifting network priorities. No matter how “sudden” the tabloids spin it, this one was slow-cooked.
Inside Joy Taylor’s dismissal from Fox Sports
A few months ago, the drama started brewing when she was named in a sexual misconduct lawsuit by ex-Fox hairstylist Noushin Faraji. The allegation? Taylor downplayed Faraji’s claims about inappropriate behavior by male execs. Taylor flat-out denied it, but once that storm hit, it lingered. Things got worse when she launched into an on-air tirade about Aaron Rodgers missing Steelers OTAs—turns out, Rodgers plays for the Jets. That slip-up, combined with the lawsuit buzz, set the media ablaze. And Fox? They saw smoke and started looking for the fire escape.
Taylor got the boot, her contract left to gather dust, and Fox wrapped up her nearly 10-year run without much fanfare. Paul Pierce and Keyshawn Johnson, though clear of controversy, also exited stage left—casualties of a bigger rebrand play. Fox never directly tied her firing to the lawsuit, but the writing was on the wall. With a fresh slate in mind, FS1 hit reset, hoping to dodge future headaches before the next cycle.
If this is how FOX Sports wants to keep things tidy, fair enough. But let’s not pretend the fans are thrilled about it. Joy Taylor’s dismissal left a sour taste, sure—but the real heartbreak? Paul Pierce losing his weekly soapbox of wild takes and unpredictable wisdom. The man turned hot takes into performance art. Now? Crickets. You can almost hear Celtics fans sobbing into their vintage jerseys.
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