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SHOCK: Former ESPN Chief Reveals Cocaine ‘Extortion’ Plot That Led To His Resignation

   DailyWire.com

In December, ESPN chief John Skipper stunned the sports and media world by abruptly announcing his resignation, citing a need to address his “substance addiction” problem. The announcement caught employees of the leading sports network by complete surprise as Skipper’s recent actions provided no indication that he had any problems or any plans to leave.

In a bombshell interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Thursday, Skipper, 62, revealed details about what truly motivated his mysterious resignation: a drug dealer’s “extortion” plot against him.

In a company-wide statement he released on December 18, Skipper said that he had “struggled for many years with a substance addiction” and had “decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem.” Asked by THR contributor James Andrew Miller if he’d indeed sought treatment, Skipper said he “did get some therapy” and went through “treatment.”

After clarifying that the drug he abused occasionally was cocaine, Skipper emphasized that his use of the drug never impacted his work and that he had no intention of leaving until a few days before his announcement. This prompted Miller to push harder about what exactly motivated him to step down so abruptly. Here’s the exchange:

Miller: Well, John, with all due respect, I’m a bit confused. There seems to be a big piece missing to this story. I’m looking at my notes: First, you’ve shared that you were an infrequent user of cocaine — something that could be true of others in the entertainment and media business. I’m not an expert in this area, but I’m not sure some would even call that an addiction. Second, you’ve stated categorically that your use never got in the way of your work. And third, you’ve admitted that on the days leading up to your decision to resign, you had no thoughts of resigning. None of that seems to explain why you reached the decision you had to resign. I know this is difficult, John. I hope you understand why I’m pushing a bit here.

Skipper: In December, someone from whom I bought cocaine attempted to extort me. […] 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. I foreclosed that possibility by disclosing the details to my family, and then when I discussed it with Bob [Iger], he and I agreed that I had placed the company in an untenable position and as a result, I should resign.

Miller followed up by asking specifically if Skipper agreed to resign because he understood that Iger “couldn’t allow” the cocaine extortion plot to threaten the company. “I did understand that,” Skipper responded.

“Look, it was inappropriate for the president of ESPN and an officer of The Walt Disney Co. to be associated in any way with any of this,” said Skipper. “I do want to make it clear, however, that anything I did in this regard, and anything else resulting from this, was a personal problem. My drug use never had any professional repercussions, but I still have profound regret. I accept that the consequences of my actions are my responsibility and have been appropriate. I also have to accept that I used very poor judgment.”

Read the full interview here.

Related: ESPN Insider Lays Out Alternate Theory On ESPN President’s Stunning Resignation

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