Britt McHenry Involved in NBA Drink-Throwing Incident
Britt McHenry became involved in a confrontation at the Wizards–Bucks game on 21 October. Sources alleged that remarks about Winnie Harlow preceded the incident Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons

Britt McHenry, a press adviser at the US State Department, was filmed throwing a drink towards a spectator during an NBA game in Washington, DC, after a confrontation that sources say began with heckling about Winnie Harlow.

The incident took place at Capital One Arena on Wednesday, 21 October, during the Washington Wizards' home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. Additional footage published the following day reportedly shows someone throwing a beverage towards McHenry before she responds with a cup of her own.

The former ESPN reporter's departure also drew attention, with footage showing her waving and blowing kisses towards spectators as she moved through the stands. Whether she was formally ejected remains disputed in the accounts published so far.

Heckling Allegedly Targeted Winnie Harlow

A source familiar with the confrontation said McHenry attended the game with a male friend and was seated in front of men making disparaging remarks about Bucks player Kyle Kuzma and his fiancée, Harlow.

According to that account, McHenry asked a heckler to stop, after which the comments turned towards her. The source alleged that a man directed misogynistic remarks at McHenry and threw a drink on her before she responded.

McHenry's representatives and the State Department declined to comment when approached about the incident. The arena and teams had not immediately responded to enquiries in the initial reporting.

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Additional Footage Changes the Sequence

The later video provides relevant context for the drink-throwing sequence. Its published description places a beverage being thrown towards McHenry before her response, rather than showing her initiating that exchange. It does not, however, independently establish the alleged earlier comments about Harlow. Those details remain attributed to sources describing what happened before the filmed confrontation.

Accounts also differ over McHenry's departure. Sources close to her said she left voluntarily to go to a bar, while her companion remained for the game. Footage was also reported to show an exchange with a security guard directing her towards the exit. That distinction makes a definitive claim that she was 'kicked out' premature without an official account.

From Sports Broadcasting to the State Department

McHenry announced her appointment as a State Department press adviser in September. In her own public announcement, she described beginning a new position at the department and thanked those who had helped her reach it.

The role places her within the Trump administration. It is more precise to describe her as a State Department press adviser than as a personal adviser to the president. Her move followed a broadcasting career that included reporting for ESPN and commentary for Fox Nation.

McHenry previously faced scrutiny in April 2015, when video captured her insulting a towing-company employee. ESPN suspended her for one week, and she apologised publicly for her behaviour.

The current incident raises separate questions about what prompted the confrontation and how arena staff handled it. The additional footage supplies context about the drinks, while the alleged Harlow remarks and circumstances of McHenry's departure remain dependent on accounts that have not been fully reconciled.

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