Ryan Clark appeared on The Breakfast Club, where he spoke with Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy and Jess Hilarious about his departure from ESPN and the fallout surrounding it.
Clark explained why he considers his exit a firing rather than a layoff, pointing to the timing and circumstances surrounding the announcement.
“Everybody that got laid off got told on Tuesday. Only one person got told on Monday on set. Me. That’s the distinction.”
Clark also discussed reports surrounding his comments about ESPN allegedly viewing him as “too Black,” emphasizing that the phrase was not his own characterization.
“It wasn’t me making this thing up… It was said that I was.”
According to Clark, he was informed about his departure while on set, on air and a day before other employees were notified. He also addressed the news being leaked to a conservative sports outlet rather than a major sports publication, describing the sequence as intentional and saying he believed it was meant to humiliate him.
Clark credited his immediate boss, who had previously given him his first internship, with personally contacting him so the news would not break while he was still on air.
He further pushed back on the idea that losing his job caused him to become emotional, saying the moment that affected him involved people in his neighborhood and at church telling him they were proud of how he represents them.