ESPN has canceled a scheduled guest co-host appearance by Will Ferrell in character as Ron Burgundy from “Anchorman 2.”
Previously scheduled for Thursday’s “SportsCenter,” the appearance was pushed pending the disclosure of information surrounding possible charges against Jameis Winston.
“Ron Burgundy’s scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been cancelled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney’s press conference in Fla.,” announced ESPN’s Director of Communications, David Scott, on Twitter.
“As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy on @SportsCenter,” he continued.
Also read: ‘Anchorman 2’ Character Ron Burgundy Gets School Named After Him, but Professors Aren’t Thrilled
The prosecutor heading the investigation of sexual assault allegations against the Florida State quarterback has set a 2 p.m. ET news conference to make an announcement on whether he will be charged in a Dec. 2012 incident.
The decision to pull Farrell’s appearance was mutual, an individual with knowledge of the decision told TheWrap.
Although Ferrell was set to appear at 6 p.m., ESPN expects its followup coverage to be extensive and both the network and movie studio Paramount agreed the appearance may be inappropriate.
Also read: ESPN, Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight Hire Key Editorial Team
In the incident that took place last year, a lawyer for Winston has suggested that the star quarterback and the accuser had consensual sex. But the family of the victim has accused the 19-year-old of rape.
Winston is a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top college football player, and his team is in contention for the national championship and currently ranked No. 1.
Tony Maglio contributed to this report.