Britt McHenry, the former ESPN presenter who recently joined the US State Department as a press adviser, has reportedly resigned from the Trump administration following a public altercation with spectators at a Washington Wizards game earlier this week.
The New York Post was the first to report the move, describing it as a forced resignation. Our News Outlet has sought confirmation with McHenry. The White House referred Our News Outlet to the US State Department, which declined comment.
The 40-year-old was reportedly responsible for press matters linked to corruption allegations that prompted Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation as US ambassador to Greece. According to the Post, McHenry also advised on media issues involving Europe and Africa.
McHenry was attending the Wizards’ season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks when the confrontation unfolded.
Video obtained by TMZ appears to show McHenry standing and throwing a drink at a nearby fan before quickly leaving her seat at Capital One Arena.
As she made her way out, other spectators seated nearby appeared to throw objects in her direction.
Britt McHenry, the former ESPN host who recently joined the US State Department as a press adviser, has reportedly resigned from the Trump administration
McHenry recently joined the Trump administration as the US State Department’s press adviser
The incident may have begun with comments directed at Bucks star Kyle Kuzma’s fiancée, Winnie Harlow, according to sources cited by the outlet. Harlow, who has vitiligo, was reportedly subjected to disparaging remarks by fans seated behind McHenry.
One source told Page Six that the spectators said Kuzma played poorly because his “girlfriend’s ugly,” along with other remarks described as “terrible.”
The source said McHenry responded by asking one of the hecklers to “ease up,” after which the fan allegedly redirected the abuse toward her.
According to the same account, the male spectator shouted “misogynistic” insults at McHenry and then threw a drink. She allegedly retaliated by throwing a drink back.
TMZ’s footage shows McHenry tossing the drink before departing her seat. Several objects were then reportedly thrown toward her as she left the section.
McHenry appeared undeterred, blowing kisses toward the crowd and waving as she exited the seating area despite the items being hurled in her direction.
The mood appeared to shift in the arena concourse, where McHenry was seen arguing with a staff member who was directing her to leave.
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A TMZ source close to McHenry, however, disputed the suggestion that she had been ejected, claiming she chose to leave and intended to go to the bar.
A source claimed McHenry intervened after hearing fans make disparaging remarks about Winnie Harlow, the fiancée of Bucks star Kyle Kuzma, who has vitiligo
The reported resignation comes slightly more than a month after McHenry announced that she had accepted a position as a press adviser at the State Department, working under Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
She revealed the appointment by posting a photograph of herself beside the official seal in the White House Press Briefing Room in Washington.
“It is true,” McHenry wrote on X. “I am honored to serve as a newly appointed press advisor to the State Department, our country’s highest diplomatic institution. Proud to serve for and work alongside some truly incredible people.”
In a separate LinkedIn post, she added: “I am beyond excited to start this new chapter today and am thankful to every person who helped me in pursuing and achieving this opportunity.”
‘For 17 years, I have worked on camera covering the news. Now, I get to take that experience and apply it to our country’s highest diplomatic agency.
‘As a fellow Floridian, I have followed and admired Secretary Marco Rubio’s political career from its inception to the outstanding leadership he shows today in the Administration,’ McHenry wrote.
McHenry, a former ESPN host of Arlington, Virginia, alleged that for months in 2018 that Tyrus sent her sexually explicit text messages as they both worked on their show Un-PC
‘He has appointed an exceptional staff, and I look forward to serving them and our nation.’
The appointment marks the latest chapter in a turbulent media career that has seen McHenry frequently entangled in high-profile workplace scandals and legal battles.
She spent three years as a Washington DC-based reporter for ESPN before being fired in 2017 during a sweeping round of company layoffs.
During her tenure at ESPN, McHenry made headlines in 2015 when she was suspended after security footage caught her berating a towing company clerk.
She later issued an apology, admitting that she ‘allowed my emotions to get the best of me’ during an intense moment.
Following her ESPN exit, McHenry transitioned toward right-wing political commentary, making appearances on Fox News Media and Fox 5 DC.
