Britt McHenry, the former ESPN reporter who joined the Trump administration as a State Department press adviser last month, was forced to resign Thursday after a heated confrontation at a Washington Wizards game the night before, according to Page Six.
McHenry, 40, had been promoted Wednesday to lead External Affairs & Press for under secretary Jacob Helberg’s team. Within roughly 24 hours, she was out, a source told Page Six. “She was forced to resign over the incident,” the source said. “She was promoted and fired within 24 hours.”
Front Office Sports later confirmed McHenry is no longer in the role. She told the outlet she signed a resignation letter. A State Department spokesperson said the agency does not comment on internal personnel matters. McHenry did not respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
The incident occurred Wednesday night at Capital One Arena during the Wizards’ season-opening win over the Milwaukee Bucks. McHenry attended with a male friend and sat in front of a group of fans who sources described as loud and obnoxious.
According to a Page Six source, the fans began heckling Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma — a former Wizard — with comments including that he “plays terribly because his girlfriend’s ugly,” along with other remarks about his fiancée, model Winnie Harlow. McHenry turned around and told the heckler to “ease up.” That reportedly shifted the group’s attention to her.
The source alleged the man then directed misogynistic comments at McHenry and threw a drink on her. McHenry, who the source said had been drinking, responded by throwing a drink of her own. TMZ video shows her tossing a beverage toward the crowd. Fans chanted for her to leave, threw items including towels, and booed as she exited. McHenry was seen blowing kisses toward the crowd on her way out and later asked security, “What did I do?”
😳 Exclusive: Trump staffer Britt McHenry throws drink at fan at NBA game. pic.twitter.com/9tgqAto4hl
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 22, 2026
Accounts differ slightly on whether she was formally ejected. Some sources close to McHenry told TMZ she left voluntarily while her companion stayed for the remainder of the game. Video shows her being directed toward the exit by arena staff amid the hostile reaction.
McHenry joined the State Department in September as a press adviser after a career that included stints as an NFL reporter at ESPN (2014-2017) and as a commentator for Fox News and Fox Nation. In 2015, ESPN suspended her for one week after video surfaced of her berating a towing company employee in the Washington area, telling the worker they had “no education” or “skill set” and making other disparaging remarks.
The Wizards defeated the Bucks 128-116. Kuzma and Harlow were not directly involved in the confrontation.
