Who is Michele McPhee? 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' recounts WEEI guest's tone-deaf comments
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'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' finale had all of the emotions in their right place, leaving a sense of emptiness and solidifying its status as one of the best shows of the year. The last episode was packed with Aaron Hernandez's (Josh Rivera) charm as he resolves many of his long-standing problems, notably making peace with his late father Dennis Hernandez (Vincent Laresca).
The final episode concluded on a tragic note with Hernandez's death, but before that, we got to see glimpses of his life inside the jail. Hernandez was initially treated like royalty by his fellow convicts, whose attitude toward him abruptly changes as they learn of his sexuality through the WEEI radio station's show, where guest Michele McPhee made some tone-deaf comments about the disgraced star. In 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez', it is suggested that such comments caused Hernandez to revert to his old habits and begin abusing narcotics again, ultimately leading to his death, but what is the truth behind it?
When Michele McPhee dragged Aaron Hernandez's sexuality on WEEI radio show
McPhee, an investigative journalist, appeared on Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan's WEEI radio show in Boston two days before Hernandez died by suicide in prison. While McPhee was initially invited to discuss her book about the Boston Marathon bombing, the subject rapidly changed to Hernandez's sexuality. McPhee investigated Hernandez's sexuality as a possible motive in the murder of Odin Lloyd.
The session declined with obscene jokes and hints pointing out Hernandez's sexuality. The three of them even utilized football metaphors to suggest Hernandez's affinity to men and said Hernandez was "a tight end on and off the field" and that he "played with both feet," as per Oh No They Didn't. Despite the sensitive nature of the matter, McPhee participated in the discussion, which prompted criticism for the tone-deaf discussion. Not only that, following Hernandez's death, McPhee posted a provocative post titled 'I Think I'm Gonna Hang It Up LOL,' claiming that Hernandez had a 'prison boyfriend' who was put on suicide watch following his passing.
Michele McPhee apologizes for controversial comments on Aaron Hernandez
McPhee expressed conflicting feelings of guilt and rationalization for her controversial radio appearance, as per The New Yorker. She stated that her comments about Hernandez's sexuality were 'inelegant' and not something she would normally say. She then blamed her tone on the sports radio environment.
While agreeing that the topic was serious, McPhee said that Hernandez's guilt should have been centered on the murder of his friend Lloyd rather than on sexuality concerns.
How to stream 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez'?
You have several options if you want to watch 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' on FX. FX is available on YouTube TV for $72.99 monthly, with a free trial. Hulu includes FX with any of its packages, which start at $7.99 per month. Hulu also offers a free trial to new and qualifying recurrent subscribers.
On the other side, FX can be purchased or rented from Prime Video. FXNOW is free, but you must have a subscription to a cable or satellite television service to enjoy it.
'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' trailer