After 10 years on ESPN's First Take, Molly Qerim announced she is leaving the show. The 41-year-old sports show host told her 734k Instagram followers that "after much reflection" she "decided it's time to close this incredible chapter and step away from" the show. Molly continued: "Hosting this show has been one of the greatest honors of my career. Every morning, I had the privilege of sharing the desk with some of the most brilliant, passionate, and entertaining voices in the sports." Molly didn't include what her next steps professionally are and instead chose to cheekily tell her fans to "stay tuned."
For a decade, Molly co-hosted First Take with Stephen A. Smith. On Tuesday's episode, Stephen honored Molly by saying: "She has been an enormous part of our success for a decade…She did it with dignity, class, and kindness to say the least. We'll miss her and wish her every blessing on her future."
ESPN's President of Content, Burke Magnus, told the Sports Business Journal: "Molly has been an integral part of ESPN since 2006 and a key driver of First Take's success since joining as host a decade ago. She elevated the show with her poise, skill and professionalism, while supporting others as a kind and encouraging teammate. We respect Molly's decision, wish her the best in the future, and thank her for her extraordinary daily commitment to sports fans and ESPN."
Who is Molly Qerim?
Molly started her career as an anchor and reporter for the CBS Sports Network. She joined ESPN in 2008 as the host for College Football Live. During her time with ESPN, Molly covered multiple Super Bowls, the NBA draft, and both the MLB and NBA All-Star games. In 2015, she replaced Cari Champion as the host of First Take.
While working as a sports journalist, Molly has amassed quite the net worth. As of 2025, she is estimated to be worth between $2 million and $3 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Additionally, Molly has worked with both Nike and Adidas, which contributed to her wealth.
In 2018, Molly married retired NBA player and former ESPN analyst Jalen Rose. Unfortunately, they separated three years later in 2021. Jalen shared their divorce on Instagram and addressed the reports that they broke up because of Molly's alleged involvement with Stephen A. Smith. Both Molly and Jalen repeatedly deny those allegations.
During a 2022 interview with GQ, Jalen addressed the reports, saying: "In my personal relationship, it was laughable to me, to see [Molly] and I mutually part ways, be in accord about why we're parting ways, and still see people speculating on why." He continued: "We still 100…I just saw her today. We cool!"
Since their divorce, Molly has not been public about dating anyone else. Instead, focusing on her career and her health. Molly has shared widely about her severe endometriosis diagnosis, which as defined by the Cleveland Clinic is a painful condition caused when "tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus to grow in other places where it doesn't belong." In March 2025, Molly underwent a "super difficult and delicate surgery."