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Former ESPN reporter and U.S. State Department press advisor Britt McHenry is no stranger to controversies, and now she’s at the center of another one. This comes as shocking footage has gone viral of McHenry in a heated confrontation before throwing a drink at a fan during an NBA game.

The incident took place on Oct. 21 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., during a game between the Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks. In the video, McHenry can be seen picking up a drink and tossing it at the fan before she was escorted out. Sources told TMZ she threw the drink after fans behind her made inappropriate comments about Kyle Kuzma’s fiancée Winnie Harlow. 

Now two experts are breaking down what they saw in the clip from McHenry.

Nicola Hickling is the founder of LipReader, a company specializing in lipreading and expert witness reports. She has spearheaded the development of innovative technologies and services that empower individuals with hearing impairments. She has contributed her analysis to the Daily Mail, Newsweek, Page Six, and many more.

Speaking on behalf of Casino.org US, Hickling shared with Showbiz Cheat Sheet what she saw in the video. According to the lip-reading pro, “McHenry confronts someone filming her, demanding, ‘How dare you film me?’ In another particularly fiery moment, the former sports journalist appears to declare: ‘I work for him. I am famous, so f*** you, baby.'”

Hickling noted that as tensions continue to escalate, McHenry’s male companion urges her to calm down, telling her, “Listen to me. Don’t react. It ain’t worth it.” The expert added that McHenry also appeared to try to negotiate her exit, saying, “Maybe I can stand outside, and we can talk this through.” But as she heads through the doors, Hickling interprets her final remark as a defiant “F*** you.”

Inbaal Honigman is a body language expert. She has appeared in the media for more than two decades, offering her expertise and perspectives on several pop culture figures for Big Brother’s Little Brother, Elle Magazine, and talkSPORT radio, to name a few.

Speaking on behalf of Casino.org US, Honigman spoke to Showbiz Cheat Sheet about what she noticed in McHenry’s body language during the incident, observing, “There’s a huge, and very obvious dissonance between McHenry’s right arm and hand, and between the left. It is through that difference that we can tap into exactly what goes on in her mind.

“As McHenry walks away, escorted up the stairs, she holds her right hand aloft, over her head. This right hand is soft and open, which is a way of proclaiming innocence. The open right hand and the raised arm say, ‘look, I’ve got nothing up my sleeve! I’ve done nothing!’ That right hand goes a step further, blowing faux kisses to the crowd, trying to portray herself as devil-may-care and indifferent to the hate.”

Honigman added, “But throughout the entire scene, McHenry’s left hand is closed and tense. Curled around her phone and wallet, the fingers of her left hand show stress, to the point of fury. The tension in her left hand doesn’t let up throughout all available footage, as the anger she feels manifests in tightening, tense finger muscles. Her left hand lets us know how she feels inside, seething with rage, while the right hand puts on a show of indifference.

“There’s a further discrepancy between McHenry’s neutral face as she walks up the stairs and her shoulders, which are curled forward mournfully. The curled shoulders are an attempt to make herself small, to disappear from the scene, which stands at odds with her facial expression that tries to project indifference. Her face says ‘whatever’ while her shoulders say ‘never ever.'”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.

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