Full Breakdown
DeMarcus Cousins Accuses Sacramento Reporters of Inappropriate Conduct
By Drooid · · How we work
Allegations of Inappropriate Conduct
Former Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins has publicly alleged that a Sacramento Bee reporter, Ailene Voisin, lifted his shirt during his rookie season to examine his body and subsequently wrote about it. Cousins described the incident as “violating” and said the reporter had an “infatuation about my body” before he even arrived in Sacramento. He also cited a separate hot-mic recording from a recent Kings media day in which two female reporters discussed the attractiveness of players Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine, calling the conversation “unprofessional” and urging discipline for the women involved.
Context of the Media Controversy
Cousins, a four-time All-Star who played seven seasons with the Kings after being drafted fifth overall in 2010, has long criticized the local press. He told the “Gil’s Arena” podcast that the Sacramento media environment is “corrupt” and “biased,” noting that the city’s smaller market makes misconduct easier to conceal. The hot-mic audio, captured during a media day that was unintentionally broadcast, featured a woman—identified by some outlets as reporter Sara Hodges—mocking player responses and ranking players by attractiveness, prompting Cousins to call for equal treatment of female reporters as would be applied to male counterparts.
Cousins’ Statements & Responses
Cousins emphasized that the alleged shirt-lifting incident left him feeling uneasy at age 19-20, a time he felt unable to address the behavior. He argued that if a male reporter had acted similarly, the situation would be deemed “a real ugly situation” and should be handled accordingly. The former star also reiterated that the broader pattern of “unprofessionalism, bias, and vendettas” reflects a toxic media culture he has repeatedly highlighted.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s not as much, you know, attention on the situation,” — Cousins
- “I’ll go out on a limb and say this: if this was a male in this situation, it would be a real ugly situation,” — Cousins
- “She just had this infatuation about my body. Even before I stepped foot in Sacramento, she only reported about my body,” — Cousins
- “But it was one specific day where she decided to walk up to me and lift my shirt up, because she wanted to see what my body looked like underneath my shirt. Then she went on to write an article about it,” — Cousins
- “It’s a lot of unprofessionalism. It’s a lot of bias. It’s a lot of vendettas,” — Cousins