Story perspectives

ESPN's David Newton Faces Backlash Over Insensitive Question

10/11/2025

Summary

Story summary

ESPN reporter David Newton faced backlash after asking Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette about his late father's support for the Dallas Cowboys during a locker room interview.
Legette's parents had died, a fact fans cited as evidence of the remark's insensitivity.
Fans on social media called for Newton's removal from Panthers coverage.
Newton apologized, calling it an "innocent mistake," but questions persisted about his memory of Legette's life.

1 of 1

Story summary

ESPN reporter David Newton faced backlash after asking Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette about his late father's support for the Dallas Cowboys during a locker room interview.
Legette's parents had died, a fact fans cited as evidence of the remark's insensitivity.
Fans on social media called for Newton's removal from Panthers coverage.
Newton apologized, calling it an "innocent mistake," but questions persisted about his memory of Legette's life.