Who Is Britt McHenry? Trump Staffer Seen Throwing Drink at NBA Game

Britt McHenry, a former ESPN reporter who recently joined the U.S. State Department as press adviser, was shown on video throwing a drink at a fan during an NBA game Thursday night, reportedly after fans made offensive comments, according to TMZ.

The confrontation occurred during the Washington Wizards' game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. TMZ footage shows McHenry throwing a beverage toward someone in the crowd before leaving the arena with a man. As she walked out, fans booed her and threw towels her way.

Sources close to McHenry told TMZ that the confrontation began after spectators seated behind her and her male companion allegedly made offensive remarks about model Winnie Harlow, who is engaged to former Wizards player Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma now plays for the Bucks.

The sources also alleged that the spectators directed misogynistic comments at McHenry and threw objects at her during the dispute.

The video does not establish what happened immediately before McHenry threw the drink, and the allegations about the exchange have not been independently verified by Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out to McHenry and the State Department for comment late Thursday.

Earlier in the footage, McHenry is seen speaking with an arena employee, who makes a phone call. A man wearing a suit then approaches the area. The employee appears to speak with McHenry and fans seated behind her, though it is unclear what was said.

As she left the arena, McHenry blew a kiss toward the crowd before continuing up the stairs.

Video also shows her arguing with a security guard who appears to be directing her to leave the arena. She is seen asking, “What did I do?”

Who Is Britt McHenry?

McHenry joined the State Department as a press adviser in September.

“Honored to serve our country’s highest diplomatic institution. Blessed to work for some amazing people (thank you!!)” she wrote on Instagram.

Before joining the Trump administration, McHenry worked as a journalist for The Spectator and as a news anchor for Fox News and FOX 5 DC. She previously spent more than three years as a sports reporter for ESPN.

As Newsweek previously reported, McHenry was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February 2020. In March, she underwent a craniotomy at Johns Hopkins to remove a large grade 2 astrocytoma from her left frontal lobe.

McHenry also drew widespread attention in 2015 after a video circulated showing her berating an employee at a towing company. ESPN suspended her for one week following the incident.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Steven Frank and Edward T. Cummins