Former ESPN president John Skipper revealed Thursday that his sudden resignation from the network in December was the result of an attempted extortion plot by someone who sold him cocaine. In his announcement at the time, Skipper cited substance addiction as the reason for his resignation, but in an interview published Thursday by The Hollywood Reporter, he divulged the attempted extortion plot after being pressed by interviewer James Andrew Miller.
The incident made Skipper realize he needed to seek help for his drug use, he told THR. "They threatened me, and I understood immediately that threat put me and my family at risk, and this exposure would put my professional life at risk as well," he explained, adding that upon confiding in Bob Iger, the CEO of ESPN's parent company Disney, the two agreed that Skipper should resign.
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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Post Office's Capture software to be reviewed over 'glitches'Speed Read Solicitor representing accused postmasters says flaws in the IT system follow 'very similar pattern' to Horizon
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homesSpeed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bidSpeed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detenteSpeed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe feesSpeed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billionSpeed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
