WWE Head Of Media Lee Fitting Accused Of Misconduct
Lee Fitting accused of making objectifying, crude, and sexist remarks, leading to ESPN sacking.
WWE Head of Media and Production Lee Fitting has been accused of misconduct while employed by ESPN, leading to his sacking from the sports channel.
Fitting, whom WWE hired to lead Raw and SmackDown production in January 2024, was dismissed by ESPN in August 2023, according to a report from The Athletic's Katie Strang and Andrew Marchand.
ESPN executive Norby Williamson is reported to have sent a short memo on 21 August confirming that Fitting, who'd been with the group for over 25 years, was "no longer with the company." At the time of his dismissal, Fitting had been overseeing the College GameDay show and all college and NFL properties.
Considered an ESPN "golden boy", to the extent that onlookers "groused at what they perceived as indecorous treatment" as he was escorted from company premises, Fitting was the subject of an HR complaint from a group of ESPN employees in 2023. In the complaint were multiple allegations of "objectifying women, criticizing their physical appearance and making crude jokes, some sexual in nature, in the workplace."
This "went unchecked for years," until, according to one woman interviewed, "It finally caught up to him."
Fitting was accused of the following, amongst other allegations:
- Commenting on a woman who wasn't employed by ESPN's ability to "open her throat" while downing a beer in 2012. (Denied by Fitting)
- Patting his lap and saying "I've got a seat right here for you" towards a woman on staff when a chair wasn't available during a 2014 production meeting. (Denied by Fitting)
- Several instances of "jokingly" asking female staff members for their hotel room numbers, and bragging about "his and his wife's robust sex life." (Denied by Fitting)
- Upon seeing women wearing outfits he liked, letting them know in ways women and other employees considered crude and/or humiliating. Such comments were allegedly so frequent, a colleague developed a counter strategy, opening up a notebook and mimicking writing something every time Fitting did something inappropriate. "Just jotting this down for the book," was her response when Lee asked what she was doing.
- Using the phrase "it's okay, she's one of the guys", after saying something crude or sexist, to make it appear permissible.
- Telling several women who appeared on-camera how to style their hair, makeup, and outfits.
- Telling a female "Put your hair up in a ponytail before I do it for you" after she declined to do so during a text exchange while the two were working at different locations. (Denied by Fitting)
- Frequently commenting on how women looked to the extent that it became engrained in how he ran College GameDay. This included scanning crowds for women he considered "hot" so they could be shown on the broadcast.
While Fitting's spokesperson denied some of the allegations, they did not address others, and declined to comment on what The Athletic describes as "the broader characterization of him as someone who mistreated women during his tenure at ESPN or why he was let go by the network."
While ESPN declined to comment on Fitting's 2023 firing, it provided a statement:
“ESPN is dedicated to maintaining the most inclusive, respectful and comfortable work environment for everyone. Our people are the most valuable resource at ESPN, and we ensure our commitment by providing year-round guidance, including extensive support and training. On top of that, we clearly communicate workplace expectations for all, while emphasizing care, sensitivity and accessibility in response to any employee needs.”
A spokesperson for WWE had no comment on the Fitting allegations.
Fitting joined WWE in the wake of long-serving Executive Producer Kevin Dunn's departure. On 10 January 2024, WWE President Nick Khan commented:
“Lee is a phenomenal leader and executive known for work that generates both critical acclaim and mass appeal. Lee will be a tremendous addition to our stellar media and production team and play a key role in helping catapult WWE’s growth.”