ESPN Reporter Holly Rowe Reveals Mother's Death Amidst Arch Manning Controversy
Rowe shared the news of her family tragedy just days after quarterback Arch Manning apologized for laughing at an AI-generated video depicting her being assaulted.
ESPN college football sideline reporter Holly Rowe revealed on Wednesday that her mother recently passed away and was buried.
"We buried my beautiful Mother today," Rowe wrote on her X account. "We honored her with the things she loves most…Dr. Pepper, Purple, Butterflies released and music. So grateful for my amazing family. We laughed, cried and loved on each other today. Love you Momma, You raised an amazing family."
Rowe shared images of her family gathered for the service, showing an urn surrounded by flowers, a set dinner table, and a violinist playing.
The news of Rowe's family tragedy comes shortly after she was at the center of a controversy involving Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning.
During a post-game interview following Texas's upset victory over No. 1 Ohio State, Sarkisian screamed into Rowe's microphone before running off to celebrate with his team, a moment that drew criticism on social media.
Following this interaction, an AI-generated video surfaced depicting Sarkisian violently assaulting Rowe. Arch Manning, when asked about the video, reportedly laughed and called it "hilarious."
Manning later issued a public apology on his Instagram story for his insensitive comment.
"In my press conference yesterday, I made an insensitive comment about an AI video. There is nothing funny about it," Manning stated. "It's easy to say I didn't mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people. I do not take that lightly and am deeply sorry for that."
He specifically apologized to Rowe for her having to deal with the personal impact of his comments, adding that he has "a ton of respect for her" and appreciates her "showing me grace in this moment."
Rowe responded to Manning's apology via her own Instagram story, accepting his apology and stating that she appreciated their private conversation about the matter. "Apology accepted. We move forward with respect and kindness for one another," she wrote.