Former Philadelphia sports radio host Mike Missanelli arrested for assault

Former longtime Philadelphia sports radio host Mike Missanelli was arrested on Wednesday for harassment and assault.

The news was first reported by Crossing Broad with details shared by NBC10.

According to court documents, Missanelli, 70, was arrested by the Lower Merion Police Department on Wednesday and charged with simple assault and harassment.

The criminal complaint states that officers were called to a home in Lower Merion Township just after midnight, following a 911 call in which the person on the other end hung up. When officers arrived, Missanelli said he and his fiancé had gotten into a “scuffle” during an argument and that she had hit him in the chest.

Missanelli’s fiancé told officers that the couple had been arguing about their engagement when he open-handedly slapped her on her face, per the complaint. The officers recounted seeing what appeared to be fresh blood on her forehead, a laceration, and that her ear was swelling.

Missanelli is currently scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 22.

Missanelli began his career working as a writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer before moving on-air at 610 WIP. He joined ESPN affiliate 97.5 The Fanatic as the midday host in 2010 and remained with the company until 2022, with several controversies along the way. In 2022, he announced that he was starting The Mike Missanelli Podcast as part of the Bet Rivers Network. He returned to 97.5 in August 2024 as a full-time host but parted ways with the company again a year later.