The circumstances surrounding John Skipper’s sudden departure from ESPN sent shockwaves through the sports media world. The network’s ex-president revealed last December that he battled substance addiction.

Apparently there was even more to the story than that.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Skipper said that his resignation came after he was extorted from his cocaine dealer:

“They threatened me, and I understood immediately that threat put me and my family at risk, and this exposure would put my professional life at risk as well,” Skipper said. “I foreclosed that possibility by disclosing the details to my family, and then when I discussed it with (Disney CEO Bob Iger), he and I agreed that I had placed the company in an untenable position and as a result, I should resign.”

Skipper went on to detail that he didn’t let his drug usage impact his work and that he found ways to hide it from his co-workers.

“At ESPN I did not use at work, nor with anyone at work, or with anyone I did business with,” Skipper said. “I never allowed it to interfere with my work, other than a missed plane and a few canceled morning appointments. I’ve never been a daily user. My use over the past two decades has, in fact, been quite infrequent. I judge that I did a very good job and that it did not get in the way of my work. I worked hard, I worked smart. I worked all the time.”

He also added that after his stunning resignation, he checked himself into a facility to get treatment for his addiction.

ESPN announced in the beginning of last week that it hired Disney Interactive boss James Pitaro as Skipper’s replacement.