ESPN President John Skipper resigns citing substance abuse issue

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John Skipper, president of ESPN Inc. and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, arrives for the Allen & Co. annual conference at the Sun Valley Resort on July 9, 2013 in Sun Valley, Idaho. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

(FOX NEWS) - ESPN President John Skipper announced Monday he is resigning from the network due to a substance addiction problem.

"I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction. I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem," Skipper said in a statement.

Skipper said he and the company have "mutually agreed" it was appropriate for him to resign.

"I come to this public disclosure with embarrassment, trepidation and a feeling of having let others I care about down," Skipper's statement continued. "As I deal with this issue and what it means to me and my family, I ask for appropriate privacy and a little understanding."