Former ESPN host sues network, says the company is 'rife with misogyny'


Claiming the company is "rife with misogyny," former ESPN host and legal analyst Adrienne Lawrence sued the network Monday, alleging that she was fired after telling the HR department she was being sexually harassed by a SportsCenter anchor.
Lawrence's lawsuit states that when she joined the network as a fellow in 2015, John Buccigross offered to mentor her, but soon he started sending inappropriate text messages, and when she turned him down, he started a rumor that she was "sleeping her way to the top." When she went to HR to complain, the suit says, she was told to "give him a chance." Lawrence also claims men watch pornography in the office, make sexually explicit comments, and keep scorecards for their female colleagues, NBC News reports.
ESPN said in a statement the network conducted an investigation and found her accusations are "entirely without merit." Lawrence was hired for two years as part of a talent development program, the network added, and was told her contract would not be renewed. In December, Buccigross told The Boston Globe he did send pictures to her, and considered Lawrence "to be a friend. I'm sorry if anything I did or said offended Adrienne. It certainly wasn't my intent."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Exurbs: America's biggest housing trend you haven't heard of
Under the Radar Northeastern exurbs were the nation's biggest housing markets in 2024
-
How to enjoy a coolcation in Sweden
The Week Recommends You won't break a sweat on Lake Asnen or underground at the Adventure Mine
-
Sudoku medium: May 8, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine