The Athletic has unveiled a startling expose concerning Lee Fitting, a WWE producer who allegedly parted ways with ESPN following accusations of improper behavior directed towards women.
Fitting was with ESPN for a span of over two decades, concluding his stay with the media giant in August 2023, then linking up with WWE in January of the subsequent year.
While at ESPN, Fitting was involved in the production of College Gameday and was allegedly considered for the role of Head of Programming.
The Athletic reports that the human resources department at ESPN received a complaint against Fitting last year, triggering a series of employee interviews which included some high-profile female staffers.
According to the investigative report, around the year 2012, Fitting reportedly made an inappropriate comment regarding a woman’s capacity to gulp down a beer and made vulgar jokes about the woman who was not present and didn’t work at ESPN. Fitting has denied this claim through his spokesperson.
In another instance around 2014, Fitting offered his lap as a seat to a female employee when there were no chairs available during a meeting, this allegation was also denied by Fitting. A female ESPN employee alleged that Fitting once complimented her by stating she looked hot via a text message, which she showed to a producer.
In various incidences, Fitting allegedly asked female staff for their hotel room numbers and consistently joked about performing bed checks. Fitting is also accused of talking about his intimate life with his wife, an allegation which he refutes. His habit of commenting on women’s outfits was reportedly seen as offensive and distressing by some employees.
The report also highlighted the uncomfortable situation for women working with Fitting or on College Gameday; many felt compelled to participate in social drinking and tolerate his commentary, fearing that they could otherwise be considered outsiders.
Fitting routinely defended himself by stating, “it’s okay, she’s one of the guys” when his comments were questioned. Allegedly, when a female staffer resigned, he referred to her as someone who was “no fun”.
He reportedly also gave unsolicited advice to women on how to style their hair, apply makeup, dress, and more. He allegedly asked women to cover up those parts of their bodies he found unappealing.
An unidentified woman stated that Fitting once told her, “put your hair up in a ponytail before I do it for you”. A different female staffer claimed that she was instructed not to laugh on air because he found her laughter annoying.
Following an in-depth investigation, Fitting was dismissed from his ESPN role. One of the women who participated in the interviews expressed relief that he was finally held accountable.
A spokesperson for Fitting dismissed some of the allegations while avoiding commenting on others. WWE’s spokesperson responded to the report by stating the company has no comment.