In this handout photo provided by KXMB TV Bismarck, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) participates in the KX News evening broadcast on November 30, 2013 in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Will Ferrell’s scheduled appearance on ESPN as the loveable sleazeball from the movie Anchorman got sidelined by a disturbing real-world story: Allegations of sexual assault by Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.
THR reports that the Florida State Attorney’s office scheduled a press conference on the alleged assault for Thursday at 2 p.m. ET, four hours before Ferrell, in character as Ron Burgundy, would take the SportsCenter desk alongside Anchorman co-star David Koechner, in character as Champ Kind, the sportscaster with a penchant for 5-gallon cowboy hats.
An ESPN spokesperson tweeted that the appearance was cancelled, “in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney’s press conference in Fla.”
[THR]