Apple's controversial Fitness VP Jay Blahnik is retiring

## Summary
Apple (Apple) Jay Blahnik, who served as Apple’s Fitness chief for almost 13 years, has announced that he’s retiring this July. According to The New York Times , Blahnik told employees in an email that he was leaving “to spend time with his family and make an exciting move to New York City.” Blahnik is retiring less than a year after The Times reported on allegations that he was "verbally abusive, manipulative and inappropriate” towards his employees, creating a toxic workplace environment. One employee had sued him and Apple, accusing him of bullying her, and the case will go to trial in 2027. The company had conducted an internal investigation after employees reported him, The Times said, and found no evidence of wrongdoing from his side.

## Article Content
Apple
(Apple)
Jay Blahnik, who served as Apple’s Fitness chief for almost 13 years, has announced that he’s retiring this July. According to
The New York Times
,
Blahnik told employees in an email that he was leaving “to spend time with his family and make an exciting move to New York City.” Blahnik is retiring less than a year after
The Times
reported on allegations
that he was "verbally abusive, manipulative and inappropriate” towards his employees, creating a toxic workplace environment.
Approximately 10 out of the 100 employees under his leadership had reportedly sought extended leaves of absence for mental health concerns since 2022. One employee had sued him and Apple, accusing him of bullying her, and the case will go to trial in 2027. Apple had also allegedly settled a complaint by another employee, accusing him of sexual harassment. The company had conducted an internal investigation after employees reported him,
The Times
said, and found no evidence of wrongdoing from his side. Employees told the publication that they felt Apple was more concerned with protecting the image of a notable executive than addressing their issues.
Blahnik oversaw the company’s
Fitness+ subscription
service during his time with the company. Prior to that, he helped create Apple Watch’s fitness features and was also known for creating Apple’s famous activity rings.
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Employees told the publication that they felt Apple was more concerned with protecting the image of a notable executive than addressing their issues.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- One employee had sued him and Apple, accusing him of bullying her, and the case will go to trial in 2027.
- If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers apple, employees, blahnik topics. Notable strengths include discussion of apple. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 237.