ESPN host and NBA reporter Malika Andrews was granted a temporary restraining order that seeks to protect her and other on-air talent from a New Jersey man who the company alleges has threatened and harassed its employees. The restraining order, which was granted Friday by a judge in Los Angeles County Superior Court, was first reported by TMZ.
ESPN sought the order on behalf of Andrews against Ahmed Abubakar, a 41-year-old New Jersey resident who it said developed a disturbing obsession with the “NBA Today” host. The restraining order also protects “First Take” hosts Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim as well as NBA reporter Dave McMenamin, who is Andrews’s fiancé.
“Due to Respondent Abubakar’s harassing and threatening course of conduct, Malika Andrews is seriously alarmed and fears for her safety,” ESPN said in its petition. “She no longer feels comfortable coming to the ESPN facility where she works and does not feel comfortable interacting with her fans on social media which is an important aspect of her job.”
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George Fong, ESPN’s director of security and safety, said in court documents that Abubakar’s “derogatory and threatening” tweets directed at Andrews caught his attention in September 2022. Fong said he monitored Abubakar’s interactions with ESPN employees from that point on, later noticing the man’s interest centered on Andrews, Smith and Qerim.
Fong’s impression of Abubakar shifted from “an overeager fan who took great interest in the ESPN talent who appear on the show ‘First Take’ ” to someone who “had the potential to be dangerous.”
“He would frequently post threatening and harassing messages to towards those three ESPN employees, tracking their location, noting that he was seeking their personal contact information, and stating that he was trying to meet them in person.”
In the most recent incident this June, Abubakar found Andrews’s unlisted phone number, which he has used to call her multiple times. When Abubakar first called, Andrews quickly hung up and alerted Fong, who demanded Abubakar cease all conduct with Andrews, according to court documents. Abubakar agreed, but later that day, he directed at least 14 messages to Andrews on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, including some in which he admitted to calling her.
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“@malika_andrews Somehow, it appears there’s a barrier ESPN NBA Media Sports journalists create with fans, as when I called to let you know that, you were willing to cut call short before I reminded you about fact to stop bringing up negative old news,” Abubakar wrote in one tweet, seemingly referencing her mention of Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller’s connection to an Alabama murder case during this year’s NBA draft broadcast.
Abubakar’s conduct continued throughout the summer and on Aug. 9, he was arrested for stalking and trespass after he abruptly appeared at Qerim’s Connecticut residence, according to court records. Qerim subsequently obtained a civil protective order against Abubakar from Connecticut Superior Court. Following that incident, Fong said he placed Andrews under constant security supervision.
Fong also said Abubakar “demonstrated an unhealthy obsession” with Smith. Fong said Abubakar, a self-described physician of internal medicine, authored tweets discussing Smith’s location and at one point noted that he traveled to ESPN’s Los Angeles office in hopes of meeting him.
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“Mr. Fong believes that due to Respondent’s harassing and threatening course of conduct against these employees, and his recent arrest at the residence of Molly Qerim, Respondent poses an imminent threat to these employees,” the company said in its petition.
Friday’s temporary order instructs Abubakar to remain at least 100 yards from Andrews, her residence or any ESPN facility. It also prohibits him from contacting ESPN’s on-air talent and attempting to identify their personal information.
Abubakar did not respond to a request for comment. A hearing for more permanent protection is scheduled for Oct. 24.
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