ESPN President Resigns, Writes of 'Embarrassment'

John Skipper says he will tend to a substance problem
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 18, 2017 11:35 AM CST
ESPN President Resigns Over Substance Problem
ESPN President John Skipper speaks at a news conference during the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff in Charlotte, NC, on July 21, 2016.   (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

ESPN President John Skipper resigned Monday to tend to what he frames as a long-running but unspecified substance problem. "I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction. I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem," he says in a statement, per ESPN, noting that he comes "to this public disclosure with embarrassment, trepidation, and a feeling of having let others I care about down."

He says he brought his decision to the company, and that ESPN is in mutual agreement. "I will always appreciate the human understanding and warmth that Bob [Iger] displayed here and always," the 61-year-old added. Former President George Bodenheimer will take over for a 90-day period while a replacement is found. Skipper came to ESPN in 1997 and became president in 2012. (More ESPN stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X