Britt McHenry’s latest career controversy has thrust the former ESPN reporter into the headlines again, this time following her brief stint in the Trump administration.

McHenry resigned from her position as a US State Department press adviser after a confrontation with spectators at an NBA game in Washington, DC, reportedly ending her government career just one day after receiving a promotion.

The incident occurred Wednesday night at Capital One Arena during a Washington Wizards game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

According to reports published by ABC News and Page Six, McHenry’s resignation followed footage showing her throwing a drink toward people in the stands before being escorted from the venue. 

The timing was particularly striking because she’d reportedly secured a significant career advancement earlier that same day.

A promotion overshadowed by a public confrontation

McHenry, 40, had joined the State Department the previous month as a press adviser covering Europe and Africa. Page Six reported that she was later promoted to lead External Affairs and Press for Under Secretary Jacob Helberg’s team.

However, the opportunity was short-lived, with a source telling the publication that she was forced to resign following the arena confrontation.

The dispute reportedly began when spectators made insulting comments about Milwaukee Bucks player Kyle Kuzma and his fiancée, model Winnie Harlow.

According to a source cited by Page Six, McHenry intervened and urged the hecklers to ease up. The situation subsequently escalated, with competing accounts emerging about what happened next.

A source claimed that spectators threw a drink at McHenry. However, video obtained by TMZ appears to show her throwing a drink toward people in the crowd as spectators chant for her to leave. 

She was then escorted from the stands, leaving amid boos and reportedly blowing kisses toward the crowd.

Although the footage captures part of the confrontation, it doesn't establish every detail of how the dispute began. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on McHenry’s departure, describing it as an internal personnel matter.

The controversy has revived memories of McHenry’s previous professional setback, which also involved footage of her behavior becoming widely circulated online.

In 2015, ESPN suspended McHenry for one week after a video showed her berating an employee at a Washington towing company. 

Following her car’s removal, she launched into a series of personal insults, questioning the worker’s education, abilities and employment circumstances.

The clip attracted widespread criticism and became a defining controversy during her broadcasting career.

Her latest departure has drawn renewed attention to that earlier episode, creating uncomfortable parallels between her experiences in television and government communications. 

Both incidents involved public confrontations captured on video, although the circumstances surrounding each were different.

McHenry’s brief government tenure has therefore ended under a cloud of controversy, with her reported promotion quickly eclipsed by the arena incident. Rather than marking a new chapter in her career, the appointment has become notable for how abruptly it ended.