ESPNAs the saying goes, "there's no such thing as bad publicity," but we bet Britt McHenry may beg to differ.
By now, it seems like everyone has seen the viral video of the 28-year-old ESPN reporter berating an Arlington tow truck employee. The footage, which includes audio, shows McHenry lashing out at the female attendant, criticizing her looks and education.
The video was first posted on the website Live Leaks before it quickly made waves across the web. Following the backlash, McHenry apologized on Twitter for her actions, and the network subsequently suspended her for one week.
Since the fallout, McHenry has been invited by minor league baseball team the Brevard County Manatees to give an anti-bullying speech. Although she has not yet accepted, the organization says the invitation was "extended in light of her recent actions to discuss bullying, the lessons learned from it and a message beyond a Twitter apology."
While many have expressed their disdain for McHenry's actions, the towing truck company itself, Advanced Towing, has come under fire for its own controversial behavior.
Sportsgrid pulled a number of scathing reviews from the company's Yelp page, and earlier this month, NBC Washington reported that the company began to tow away a man's car while his two children were inside. Additionally, Advanced Towing currently has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau and there have been numerous local reports questioning the tow company's actions, including a report that cited McHenry's April 6 tweet calling the company "corrupt" on the day of the incident (the tweet has since been deleted).
Meanwhile, Advanced Towing has since issued a statement to The Wrap saying that McHenry should not be punished for her actions.
"Parking enforcement is contentious by nature," the statement began. "At the same time, neither Gina, our lot clerk, nor our company, have any interest in seeing Britt McHenry suspended or terminated as a result of her comments."
The company added, "Ms. McHenry is our neighbor, and, as she said, to paraphrase, made remarks that were out of line. She is human and errors in judgment can be made in the heat of the moment."
—Reporting by Senta Scarborough