Accused of misconduct, Apple’s fitness chief to step down

Apple's vice president of Fitness Technologies, Jay Blahnik, is set to retire in July 2026, marking an end to his 13-year tenure. The development comes less than a year after allegations of creating a toxic workplace environment surfaced against him. 

According to The New York Times, Apple shared an email to employees highlighting the news about Blahnik’s retirement, saying that he plans “to spend time with his family and make an exciting move to New York City.”

Last year, Blahnik’s leadership in the Fitness+ team drew much attention after serious complaints from employees. Media reports suggest that he was "verbally abusive, manipulative and inappropriate." In addition, he was also accused of sexually harassing an employee.

Due to the workplace conditions, the majority of employees of his team took extended time off due to health-related issues. Reportedly, over 10 employees out of a team of about 100 working under Blahnik had taken long-term leave for mental health or medical reasons since 2022. 

Previously, Apple settled a complaint that accused Blahnik of sexual harassment, and the company is also defending him in another legal case of bullying filed by an employee, Mandana Mofidi.

Blahnik joined Apple in 2013, initially working on fitness features and is known for developing Apple Watch's Activity rings. He served as Apple’s vice president of Fitness Technologies and was a key architect of Apple Fitness+ when it launched in 2020. 

As of now, Apple has not announced who will replace Blahnik as the leader of Apple’s fitness efforts or if his responsibilities will be distributed to the existing executives. In addition, the future of Apple Fitness+ is also uncertain as it is facing low revenue challenges. The service's health division now reports to Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP of Services, with VP Sumbul Desai overseeing it to drive improvements.