You’ve probably noticed the FS1 afternoon lineup looks a little empty lately. For years, Joy Taylor was the engine behind some of the network’s biggest hits. She moderated the chaos of Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe on Undisputed, traded verbal blows with Colin Cowherd on The Herd, and finally took the lead on Speak. But then, things got quiet.
If you’re looking for her on the Fox Sports schedule in 2026, you won’t find her.
The departure of Joy Taylor from Fox Sports in the summer of 2025 sent shockwaves through the sports media world. It wasn't just a simple "contract expired" situation; it was a messy, public, and frankly surprising end to a decade-long run. For a woman who basically pioneered the role of the modern "opinionist" in a male-dominated studio, the exit felt abrupt.
The FS1 Shakeup: Why Speak Was Canceled
Television is a numbers game. It’s cold, but it's true. By mid-2025, FS1 was reeling from a series of programming shifts that just weren't sticking with audiences. The network decided to axe three major shows simultaneously: Speak, Breakfast Ball, and The Facility.
Joy was the face of Speak, co-hosting alongside Keyshawn Johnson and Paul Pierce. While the chemistry was there, the ratings weren't. Reports from industry insiders like Andrew Marchand at The Athletic indicated that viewership had dipped to a point where the "big budget" personalities no longer made financial sense for the afternoon slot.
But ratings were only half the story.
The Lawsuit That Clouded Everything
You can't talk about Joy Taylor’s final year at Fox without mentioning the legal drama. In early 2025, a former network hairstylist named Noushin Faraji filed a lawsuit against Fox Sports. The allegations were heavy. The suit claimed a "toxic work environment" and specifically named Joy Taylor, alleging she used "intimate relationships" with network executives—specifically former content head Charlie Dixon—to fast-track her career.
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Joy didn't stay quiet. She hired outside counsel and vehemently denied every bit of it.
Honestly, the timing was terrible. While Joy was fighting to clear her name, the network was already looking to cut costs. Charlie Dixon was fired in April 2025, and by July, the network decided not to renew Joy’s contract. She wasn't a defendant in the lawsuit, but the "optics," as corporate types love to say, were messy.
From Pittsburgh Grit to National Stardom
To understand why this exit mattered so much, you have to look at where she started. Joy isn't just "Jason Taylor’s sister." She grew up in Pittsburgh, a city that lives and breathes sports. She watched her mother work two jobs to keep things afloat, a "Steel City" grind that she clearly carried into her own career.
She didn't just walk into a TV studio. She earned it.
- The Miami Years: She spent five years in Miami radio, eventually co-hosting the Zaslow and Joy Show on 790 AM The Ticket.
- The FS1 Launch: She joined Fox in 2016, right when the network was trying to find its identity as the "edgy" alternative to ESPN.
- The Moderator Era: She spent years as the "adult in the room" for Skip and Shannon, a role that required incredible patience and a quick wit.
What Most People Get Wrong About Joy Taylor
There’s a common misconception that Joy was just a "moderator." If you actually watched her on The Herd or Speak, you’d know she was an analyst. She didn't just read the news; she challenged the biggest egos in the building.
She also wasn't afraid to get personal. In 2017, she shared her story as a survivor of domestic violence on national television. It was a rare moment of raw vulnerability in a genre that is usually about shouting over who has the better LeBron James take. That authenticity is why her fans have followed her even after the Fox Sports cameras stopped rolling.
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What Is Joy Taylor Doing Now in 2026?
So, is she retired? Not even close.
Joy has pivoted to the "creator economy" with a level of success that probably makes her former bosses a bit nervous. She’s leaning heavily into her own brand, Joy Taylor Media.
- The Podcast Scene: Her show Maybe I'm Crazy has seen a massive jump in listeners since she left FS1. She owns the IP, she keeps the ad revenue, and she doesn't have a producer in her ear telling her to move to a commercial break.
- The Joy Taylor Foundation: She’s spent much of 2026 expanding her foundation’s work in Los Angeles and Miami, focusing on supporting survivors of domestic abuse and fostering diversity in journalism.
- Scholarships: She recently established a scholarship at her alma mater, Barry University, specifically for minority students pursuing broadcast communications.
Actionable Insights: The New Media Playbook
Joy Taylor’s exit from Fox Sports is a masterclass in how modern professionals should handle a career pivot. If you're looking at her journey as a blueprint, here are the real-world takeaways:
- Own Your Audience: Joy spent years building a following on Instagram and Twitter (X) that belonged to her, not Fox. When the contract ended, the audience stayed.
- Diversify Your Income: Between her foundation, her podcast, and brand deals, she wasn't reliant on a single network paycheck.
- Control the Narrative: Instead of letting the lawsuit define her, she went on shows like The Breakfast Club and Higher Learning to tell her side of the story directly.
The sports media landscape is changing. The era of the "all-powerful network" is fading, and the era of the "individual brand" is here. Joy Taylor might not be on FS1 every afternoon anymore, but in many ways, she’s more influential now than she ever was behind that desk.
If you want to keep up with her current projects, your best bet is following her independent podcast feeds, as that's where the unfiltered commentary—the stuff she couldn't say on TV—is actually happening.