Former ESPN host Samantha Ponder, wife of former NFL quarterback Christian Ponder, is going through an especially difficult time. On Friday, she shared that her mother, Cindi Steele, is currently in Israel amid rising tensions with Iran. According to Samantha, her mother could “see and hear the explosions in the sky.” Following that, she didn’t make a dramatic appeal—she simply asked her followers to pray, turning her concern into a request for collective support.

“Please pray for peace. God help us,” she wrote on social media. Her message drew responses from the football community and longtime fans of her NFL coverage, who offered prayers and support. But the situation has continued to worsen, and Cindi is still stuck in Israel.

On Wednesday, the 39-year-old Ponder posted another update on Instagram, again asking her followers to keep praying for her mother, who would not be able to leave the region until the weekend. “Thank God for the Iron Dome. This is my mom talking today near Jerusalem,” she wrote in her story, sharing footage of explosions lighting up the sky.

“She cannot get out of the ME until this weekend. Please continue to pray for peace, guidance for our leaders and comfort for those in harms way.” The conflict in the region where Samantha’s mom has been stuck escalated when Israel launched strikes against Iran on Friday morning last week, which prompted Iran to launch airstrikes of its own, reportedly firing fewer than 100 missiles.

It’s no surprise that Samantha Ponder is deeply worried, turning to her online community for support while her mother remains in the middle of a growing conflict. While she’s hopeful her mom can leave the area by the weekend, uncertainty still looms.

All of this comes nearly a year after ESPN parted ways with Samantha Ponder, officially citing contract-related budget cuts. But there seem to have been deeper tensions behind the decision.

Could Sam’s ESPN exit be rooted in more than budget cuts

Before being let go ahead of the 2024 NFL season, Ponder had spent years at ESPN as a key figure on shows like College GameDay, Thursday Night Football, and Sunday NFL Countdown. During her tenure, she became known not only for her reporting but also for occasionally sharing her views on social issues, most notably her stance on transgender women competing in women’s sports. According to Ponder, ESPN had previously warned her about being too vocal with her opinions online. In response to a follower’s question on Instagram about whether she expected to be fired, Ponder shared that she did and laid out her opinion on the matter flat.

“Because they warned me about my public views on men in women’s sports and I knew I wasn’t willing to stop speaking about it”. While ESPN has maintained that her departure was a matter of budget, particularly given her seven-figure salary to host a weekly show, some believe her outspoken views may have played a role in the network’s decision.

Now living in New York City with her husband and their three children, Ponder has taken a step back from broadcasting, focusing on homeschooling her kids while remaining active on social media.