Britt McHenry throws drink at fan during Wizards-Bucks game, leaves arena to boos

Britt McHenry, the former ESPN reporter who joined the U.S. State Department as a press adviser in September, is back in the headlines after video showed her throwing a drink at a fan during an NBA game in Washington, D.C.

The confrontation happened Wednesday night at Capital One Arena, where the Washington Wizards hosted the Milwaukee Bucks in their home opener, according to TMZ, which first published the footage. People close to McHenry say she was provoked by hecklers seated behind her. Much of what happened before the drink was thrown is still disputed, and neither McHenry nor the State Department has commented publicly.

What the video shows

According to TMZ, Mediaite and Newsweek, the footage shows:

• McHenry tossing a beverage toward someone in the stands.
• McHenry speaking with an arena employee, who makes a phone call before a man in a suit approaches the area (as described by Newsweek).
• Fans booing as she walks up the stairs and out of the seating area, with some throwing rally towels in her direction.
• McHenry waving and blowing kisses toward the crowd on her way out.
• A tense exchange with a security guard who appears to be directing her to leave the building. She can be heard asking, “What did I do?”

Newsweek noted that the video does not establish what happened immediately before the drink was thrown.

What McHenry’s side says

Sources close to McHenry told TMZ that the people sitting behind her and a male companion were making inappropriate comments about model Winnie Harlow, who is engaged to Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma used to play for the Wizards. Wednesday’s game was a return to his old arena.

Those sources also claimed the group made misogynistic comments toward McHenry to provoke her and threw things at her too. They told TMZ they could not recall exactly what prompted her to throw the drink, only that it was part of the confrontation.

Page Six, citing a source close to the situation, gave a similar but more detailed account. According to that source, a group of men behind McHenry were “getting loud and obnoxious” and one began heckling Kuzma, allegedly saying he “plays terribly because his girlfriend’s ugly.” The source said McHenry turned around and told the man to “ease up.” That turned his attention toward her, the source said, and he allegedly made misogynistic remarks and “threw a drink on her” before she threw one back. The same source also claimed McHenry had been “drinking” throughout the evening.

None of these claims have been independently confirmed, and the fans involved have not been publicly identified.

Was Britt McHenry kicked out?

The accounts don’t agree. Page Six’s source said both McHenry and the man she clashed with were escorted out of the arena. TMZ’s sources insisted she was not ejected and said she left on her own to go to the bar, while her guest stayed for the rest of the game and met up with her afterward. The video shows a security guard who appears to be telling her to leave, but it doesn’t settle whether she was formally removed.

The Wizards won the game 128-116, TMZ reported.

Has anyone commented?

Not yet, at least not in any detail. Reps for McHenry and the State Department declined to comment to Page Six. Page Six said representatives for Capital One Arena, the Bucks and the Wizards had not responded right away.

It isn’t known whether the incident will have any consequences for her government job. No outlet has reported any action by the State Department.

Who is Britt McHenry?

McHenry spent more than three years as an ESPN sports reporter, Newsweek reported, and later worked as a news anchor and commentator at Fox News, Fox Nation and FOX 5 DC, as well as a journalist for The Spectator. She joined the State Department as a press adviser in September. On Instagram she called it an honor to serve “our country’s highest diplomatic institution.”

This isn’t the first viral video involving McHenry. In April 2015, ESPN suspended her for a week after footage showed her berating an employee at a towing company in Washington. Page Six reported that ESPN fired her two years later. When the clip resurfaced in 2024, she said it had been “highly edited” and played down its importance.

FAQ

What did Britt McHenry do at the Wizards game?

Video published by TMZ shows her throwing a drink at a fan during the Wizards-Bucks game Wednesday night at Capital One Arena. Afterward she walked out of the seating area as fans booed.

Why did she throw the drink?

Sources close to McHenry say fans behind her were insulting Winnie Harlow and later directed misogynistic remarks at McHenry, and one source told Page Six that a man threw a drink on her first. These accounts haven’t been independently verified.

Does Britt McHenry still work for the State Department?

As of the latest reports, she is described as a State Department press adviser. The department has not commented, and no change to her role has been reported.

Was she ejected from Capital One Arena?

That’s disputed. One source told Page Six she was escorted out, while TMZ’s sources said she left on her own to go to the bar.