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ESPN’s Malika Andrews granted restraining order against man for harassing her, Stephen A. Smith, and Molly Qerim

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated04 Oct 2023

ESPNs Malika Andrews granted restraining order against man for harassing her, Stephen A. Smith, and Molly Qerim

ESPN’s Malika Andrews, the host of “NBA Today,” was granted a restraining order against Ahmed Abubakar, a 41-year-old man from New Jersey.

The order was first approved last Friday by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, according to TMZ Sports. Abubakar also allegedly harassed “First Take” commentator Stephen A. Smith and host Molley Qerim.

ESPN sought protective measures on behalf of Andrews after Abubakar was caught stalking the “NBA Today” anchor. This restraining order extends protection to Smith, Qerim, and Dave McMenamin, Andrews’ fiancé.


Moreover, the harassment first began with hostile messages in September 2022. 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.

Plus, Abubakar obtained Andrews’ unlisted phone number and dialed it on multiple occasions.

The New Jersey native was also caught harassing Qerim as well. On Aug. 9, he was arrested for trespassing at Qerim’s Connecticut residence, per court records.

ESPN’s Malika Andrews was granted a restraining order against Ahmed Abubakar, a 41-year-old man from New Jersey, for harassing her, Stephen A. Smith, and Molly Qerim

“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,” ESPN said in its petition.

Furthermore, Andrews added in her report that Abubakar had visited ESPN’s Los Angeles site, attempting to contact her, Smith, and Qerim.

“Due to Respondent Abubakar’s harassing and threatening course of conduct, Malika Andrews is seriously alarmed and fears for her safety,” the company mentioned 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.”

Not to mention, Abubakar’s messages below were leaked by TMZ Sports.

ESPNs Malika Andrews granted restraining order against man for harassing her, Stephen A. Smith, and Molly Qerim Ahmed Abubakar
TMZ Sports

After several failed attempts of persuading Abubakar to back off, Andrews requested the court to mandate him to maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from her, Smith, and McMenamin. However, this restraining order is only temporary.

In fact, this order prohibits Ahmed Abubakar from contacting the ESPN anchor in person and/or engaging in conversations on social media with the aforementioned staff members. A hearing for additional protection is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Note that a restraining order protects people and property from a stalker. On the other hand, a protective order focuses on preventing abuse and violence in specific circumstances.

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