AOL Suspends Jay Mariotti

Writer and ESPN personality accused of domestic violence due in court Sept. 17

AOL has suspended Jay Mariotti indefinitely.

Here’s the AOL statement, via a spokesperson: "We are continuing to gather all the facts. In the meantime, we have suspended Jay Mariotti and are not featuring any new work from him."

The former Chicago Sun-Times writer and ESPN personality, who contributes to AOL’s Fanhouse, was arrested early last Saturday in Los Angeles on charges of domestic violence involving his girlfriend.

Mariotti has not been on ESPN (television or radio) since his arrest.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mariotti allegedly got into an argument with his girlfriend at a club in Santa Monica: “The argument continued at the couple's apartment in Venice, where some type of physical altercation allegedly occurred.”

The 51-year-old “Around The Horn” commentator was taken into custody around 4 a.m. (PT), booked on felony charges and eventually released on $50,000 bail.

He’s due in court on September 17.

A spokesperson for ESPN did not immediately return a request for comment, though there are rumors that a similar announcement regarding Mariotti's status with the "Worldwide Leader" could be coming shortly. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: ESPN would not confirm a suspension. But a spokesman for the network told TheWrap Mariotti “is not scheduled to be on next week."

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