Britt McHenry, then a reporter for ESPN, smiles before a game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets on Sept. 8, 2015.
(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
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- Britt McHenry is no longer a press advisor at the State Department, reportedly resigning days after videos of a confrontation at a Washington Wizards game went viral.
- Footage appears to show a drink thrown toward the ex-ESPN reporter before she throws one back.
- The altercation reportedly began after she defended Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma’s fiancée, Winnie Harlow.
Former ESPN reporter and Fox News personality Britt McHenry is no longer a press advisor for the U.S. Department of State, multiple media outlets are reporting. The development comes after viral videos appeared to show her throwing a drink at someone (after one was thrown at her) during an altercation in the stands at an NBA game.
Page Six reported Friday that McHenry was “forced to resign” on Thursday, the day after the alleged incident at the Washington Wizards’ home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena. McHenry then told Front Office Sports that she signed a resignation letter.
The State Department told both publications that it does not comment on internal personnel matters.
The incident reportedly started after a group sitting behind McHenry started shouting insults toward Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma about his fiancée, Winnie Harlow. McHenry is said to have spoken up in Harlow’s defense.
Video footage posted by TMZ appears to start a bit later. It shows McHenry talking to a male companion and an usher from her seat while fans seated around her can be heard making negative comments about her, with some chanting, “Kick her out!”
As McHenry and her companion eventually start to leave on their own, a clear liquid can be seen hitting or coming close to hitting her on the back of the head. She responds by throwing a drink in that person’s direction. As she makes her way up the stairs in the aisle, McHenry is seen giving the middle finger and blowing kisses to the crowd as some people heckle and throw towels at her.
Later in one of the videos, McHenry appears to argue with a security worker near at one of the venue’s entrances. As he gestures toward the exit, she appears stunned and asks, “What did I do?”
McHenry worked at ESPN from 2014 to 2017. In 2015, she was suspended for a week after a video surfaced of her yelling at and belittling a towing company employee. McHenry later apologized for the incident.
She announced her State Department job on social media last month.
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Chuck Schilken is a sports reporter on the Fast Break team. He spent more than 18 years with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports Department in a variety of roles. Before joining The Times, he worked for more than a decade as a sports reporter and editor at newspapers in Virginia and Maryland.