Sports Entertainment

ESPN fires executive VP Rob King after alleged harassment

ESPN has fired executive vice president Rob King after he was accused of harassment, The Post has learned.

The harassment allegations were due to social media posts, which were brought to the attention of ESPN’s Human Resources, according to sources.

When reached by The Post, ESPN and King both declined comment.

King, who had been with the company for nearly two decades, had been a rising star at ESPN.

He once was the head of ESPN.com and, most recently, was the executive at large for special projects, giving him the responsibility for the overall journalistic direction of the company.

King reported directly to ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

In 2017, King was the head of “SportsCenter” when ESPN had Jemele Hill and Michael Smith lead the 6 p.m. show.

“After nearly 20 years with ESPN, I have decided the time is right for me to leave the company,” King said on his Twitter account after The Post broke the story. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends, and wish the company continued success.”

ESPN has fired executive vice president Rob King after he was accused of harassment.
ESPN has fired executive vice president Rob King after he was accused of harassment. Getty Images

He also helped lead ESPN’s Inclusive Content Committee, which is designed to enhance storytelling over all platforms by serving as a diverse resource for the company’s content creators.

ESPN is in the midst of layoffs that are expected to occur in the next four to six weeks.

The decision on King is considered unrelated to the cuts.