He did not go into specifics, but said he was so spooked by the situation, he went right to Disney CEO Bob Iger and the two ultimately decided Skipper had to go. And I did a very good job of not letting it manifest itself, with the exception -- and this part is another piece of the part that I let myself down and I did not hold myself to the standard I should have, which is, in order to compartmentalize you have to deceive yourself and deceive other people. I did not traffic in that kind of activity. I treated everybody with respect. And as far as I know, there was never a single claim of one.” “I had a personal problem with an illegal substance, and any issues around it were and are personal,” Skipper added.

Former ESPN president John Skipper said his cocaine use was "quite infrequent" and didn't affect his work. He said his use of the drug was "quite infrequent" and "did not get in the way of my work." That changed, however, in December, when he bought cocaine from a source for the first time and that person or people attempted to extort him, Skipper said. I foreclosed that possibility by disclosing the details to my family, and then when I discussed it with (Disney CEO) Bob (Iger), he and I agreed that I had placed the company in an untenable position and as a result, I should resign." Skipper, 62, joined ESPN in 1997 and took over as the company's president in 2012. He explained that the extortion attempt opened his eyes to the dangers of his drug use, and prompted him to get help. "I knew then I had a problem I needed to address," Skipper told THR.

There have since been no details revealed about the nature or severity of that problem, but in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published today Skipper reveals two things: that he was a user of cocaine, and that he resigned after someone he had purchased cocaine from attempted to extort him. After some pressing by Miller, Skipper reveals that the substance he was abusing was cocaine, but clarifies that he was never a daily user and didn’t allow his drug use to interfere with his work. Confused as to why what sounds like recreational drug use would necessitate Skipper’s resignation, Miller presses him for more specifics: JAM: Well, John, with all due respect, I’m a bit confused. None of that seems to explain why you reached the decision you had to resign. I foreclosed that possibility by disclosing the details to my family, and then when I discussed it with Bob, he and I agreed that I had placed the company in an untenable position and as a result, I should resign.

By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. However, a lapse of judgment led to Skipper's decision to buy cocaine from a new source, which had big consequences. "I foreclosed that possibility by disclosing the details to my family, and then when I discussed it with Bob, he and I agreed that I had placed the company in an untenable position and as a result, I should resign." During the interview, Skipper was asked whether there was ever any impropriety with women or whether allegations of sexual harassment or assault could ever arise. Skipper expressed deep regret at having to resign but said he realized there was no other option. to be associated in any way with any of this." Skipper, who resigned on December 18, 2017, could not immediately be reached for comment either.

John Skipper, the former president of ESPN, revealed on Thursday he had a cocaine addiction and that a related extortion plot caused his abrupt resignation in December. Skipper said he spoke with Robert A. Iger, the chairman and chief executive of Disney, ESPN’s parent company, and the two agreed he had put the company in an “untenable” position and had to resign. Skipper said in the interview that he has never used heroin or opioids, and insisted that his cocaine use never affected his professional work. “I judge that I did a very good job and that it did not get in the way of my work,” he said.

He […] Former ESPN chief John Skipper has disclosed that an extortion attempt related to his purchase of cocaine led to his abrupt resignation from the sports behemoth in December. He […] Former ESPN chief John Skipper has disclosed that an extortion attempt related to his purchase of cocaine led to his abrupt resignation from the sports behemoth in December. He […] Former ESPN chief John Skipper has disclosed that an extortion attempt related to his purchase of cocaine led to his abrupt resignation from the sports behemoth in December. He […] Former ESPN chief John Skipper has disclosed that an extortion attempt related to his purchase of cocaine led to his abrupt resignation from the sports behemoth in December. He […] Former ESPN chief John Skipper has disclosed that an extortion attempt related to his purchase of cocaine led to his abrupt resignation from the sports behemoth in December.

I was overwhelmed by the circumstance. I was despondent. I was panicked. I don’t think it will take the form of a large corporate job, managing a lot of people and running a big company. I think it will take the form of helping a few smart people; people I like and respect and who do things that matter.” News Corp.

The longtime ESPN executive resigned suddenly from his post as president in December, citing a multi-year struggled with “substance addiction.” He offered no more details, though, leading many to speculate about the nature of his addiction, and if that really was the cause for him stepping down. In an interview with James Andrew Miller of The Hollywood Reporter published Thursday, Skipper revealed the real reason for his departure: an addiction to cocaine that culminated in an “extortion” incident. (Disney is ESPN’s parent company.) Skipper insisted he resigned on his own rather than Iger asking him to step down, however. The 62-year-old North Carolina native, who said his cocaine usage stemmed from “wanting to be countercultural” and “working at Rolling Stone for the first 10 years of my professional life,” also denied his resignation had anything to do with harassment issues involving female colleagues. I did not traffic in that kind of activity.” Skipper’s full interview with Miller is worth a read, as he also reveals his thoughts about Jimmy Pitaro, who officially took over his old post as ESPN president on March 5.

In December, John Skipper resigned suddenly from his role as president of ESPN and cochairman of Disney Media Networks, citing a long struggle with "substance addiction." The move came as a shock to the sports-media world at the time. But in a new interview with ESPN historian James Andrew Miller for The Hollywood Reporter, Skipper described the difficult days leading up to his resignation, which included his being caught up in an extortion plot for a cocaine purchase. He said that in December, someone he had not previously bought cocaine from "attempted to extort" him, and that this ultimately brought about a discussion with Disney CEO Bob Iger that led to his resignation. "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." "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," he continued.

In December, Skipper said he was stepping down to deal with an unnamed “substance addiction.” Now, he tells journalist James Andrew Miller that he had been a cocaine user over “the past two decades,” but says that up until late last year, he had “never allowed it to interfere with my work, other than a missed plane and a few canceled morning appointments.” What changed in December, Skipper says, was that “someone from whom I bought cocaine attempted to extort me.” At that point, he says, he told his family, and then Disney CEO Bob Iger. Skipper said he and Iger “agreed that I had placed the company in an untenable position and as a result, I should resign.” Since Skipper’s surprise resignation, speculation has swirled about the backstory behind the move. Skipper tells Miller that “those rumors and speculations are categorically and definitively untrue. Sign up for our Recode Daily newsletter to get the top tech and business news stories delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our Recode Daily newsletter to get the top tech and business news stories delivered to your inbox.