By Dan Calabrese ——Bio and Archives--March 15, 2018
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John Skipper, the former president of ESPN who abruptly resigned in December citing a substance-abuse problem, says his decision to step down after more than 20 years at the company was prompted by an extortion attempt by a person from whom he purchased cocaine. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Skipper said he disclosed the situation to Bob Iger, chief executive of Walt Disney Co. , the majority owner of ESPN, on Friday, Dec. 15. His resignation, which he called a mutual decision at the time, was announced the following Monday. Reached by phone, Mr. Skipper confirmed the contents of the interview with the Hollywood Reporter and declined to comment further. A spokeswoman for Disney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. “In December, someone from whom I bought cocaine attempted to extort me,” Mr. Skipper said in the interview to the Hollywood Reporter. “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 said. “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.”
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