Who is Kate Fagan? Wife, career and all we know about former ESPN reporter as she advocates for trans kids in sports

On her final appearance on the ESPN show Around the Horn, longtime panelist Kate Fagan used her closing monologue to advocate for the inclusion of transgender kids in sports. The show, which has been running for the past two decades, will go off air on May 23, 2025.

According to a report in Daily Mail, she was invited by the channel for a farewell appearance alongside Jemele Hill, who was suspended by the network before leaving in 2018. Using ESPN as her medium, Fagan stood for the inclusion of trans kids in sports. She said:

“I know it's my last time on it, and I want to say something worthy of that platform, and that's trans kids deserve to play sports. Think about what you remember from your time playing sports. Ninety-nine percent of it is finding that jersey for the first time, your favorite number, community, joy, those high-fives.”

“It's that moment when you have a great play with a teammate. It's the feeling of belonging. And it does not know gender. Trans kids deserve the same as everyone else does. Sports is joy. Sports is humanity. And the more people who have that, the better.”

Fagan is also a former college basketball player; she played basketball at Colorado. She is also a writer and a reporter. She has made several appearances on the show since 2012. She left the network in 2018 but continues to appear in the program, according to Fox News.

Here is more about her wife and career.

Who is Kate Fagan married to? Everything we know about the former ESPN reporter

Kate Fagan lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her wife, Kathryn Budig, and two dogs. Budig is a yoga instructor, author, publisher, and acquiring editor of Inky Phoenix Press, according to her official website.

She also served as the yoga editor for Women's Health magazine for five years. She has regularly contributed to Yoga Journal, The New Potato, and MindBodyGreen. She is also the creator of the Aim True Yoga DVD, author of The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga, and the best-selling book Aim True.

In one of her Instagram posts, shared in 2020, she described how she fell in love with Fagan when she was 34. She explained how she never faced any rejections when she came out as a bisexual. Budig wrote:

“They didn’t blink at her gender. They just saw how happy and content I was and welcomed her into the circle. So, as I like to tell people: I didn’t “come out;” I “fell in”—into love with a woman.”

She met Fagan at a summit, as she explained in an interview with Body & Soul. They tied the knot in 2018 and have been together since then.

“We immediately clicked and swapped numbers and a friendship quickly ensued, which progressively turned into love.”

Before she began her romantic relationship with Fagan, Budig was married to Bob Crossman, a professional skydiving instructor. She dated him for four years before tying the knot in 2014. Unfortunately, they divorced in 2015 due to their failed relationship.

Kate Fagan was born on November 15, 1982, in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. She completed her BA in Journalism from the University of Colorado. Her estimated net worth is $1.5 million, according to Mabumbe.

Trending

She developed an interest in sports at an early age. Her parents, who were also athletes, encouraged her to live her passion. She excelled in both sports and academics at a local high school, which earned her a scholarship to the University of Colorado. She became a standout basketball player at the varsity where she played from 2001 to 2005.

She majored in journalism. Her first major break came when she joined ESPN as a reporter and a writer. She became a fan favorite when she joined the network’s show, Around the Horn, where her witty commentary resonated with a wider audience.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback