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A Spike Lee-directed docuseries on Colin Kaepernick, which was originally set to air on ESPN, has been scrapped.
On Sunday (August 17), ESPN confirmed that it would no longer be airing Lee's Kaepernick documentary due to "creative differences."
“ESPN, Colin Kaepernick, and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,” the network said in a statement, per Reuters. “Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film.”
On Friday (August 15), Lee told Reuters that the project “was not coming out,” adding that he was limited in what he could share due to a nondisclosure agreement. Kaepernick hasn't spoken publicly about the decision.
Lee's docuseries was initially announced in 2022 as an in-depth look into Kaepernick’s life, activism, and the fallout from him kneeling during the national anthem while playing for the San Francisco 49ers.
Kaepernick began protesting racial injustice in 2016, sparking nationwide debate and backlash, including from then-President Donald Trump. The former quarterback left the 49ers in 2017 and has not played in the NFL since. In 2019, Kaepernick reached a settlement with the NFL in a collusion lawsuit alleging the league blackballed him due to his activism.
Though details about the cancellation remain limited, production of the docuseries reportedly faced delays and disagreements over its creative direction.
- Jovonne Ledet
