Phillips accepts responsibility for sex scandal
New York Mets' General Manager, Steve Phillips answers questions from the press concerning the condition of Mo Vaughn's arthritic knee during a press conference at Shea Stadium on Tuesday, June 3, 2003. (Newsday Photo / Kathy Kmonicek) Credit: NEWSDAY/KATHY KMONICEK
Steve Phillips said Monday he is "totally responsible'' for the sex scandal that cost him his job and said he is "working my tail off to try to save my marriage.''
The former ESPN baseball analyst spoke to Matt Lauer on NBC's "Today'' show, his first public comments since spending 45 days in a Mississippi clinic being treated for what he described as a sex addiction.
"What people need to understand is that what I want to do is take ownership,'' he said. "I made some mistakes. People look at sex addiction as an excuse. It's not an excuse.''
Phillips was fired last October after his relationship last summer with a young production assistant, Brooke Hundley, became public. ESPN also eventually fired her.
Speaking of his wife, Marni, Phillips said: "I've broken my wife's heart and she's had to deal with so many different issues trying to keep a family together. We went to therapy together and we're working hard to try to do that.
"I don't know what the ultimate result will be because I've damaged her and our relationship in a terrible way."
Phillips, 46, was treated at Gentle Path, the Hattiesburg clinic where Tiger Woods reportedly spent time. Phillips said the process helped him understand his problem.
"People who go there are broken people,'' he said. "For most addicts, whether it's alcohol or sex or whatever, it's that you have that hole inside based upon shame and trauma that occurred from childhood.''
