We’ve heard the stories about Barstool founder Dave Portnoy and his alleged sexual encounters with women as young as 19 years old. We’ve also heard about his attempts to silence the women who spoke out.
And we’ve heard about the backers of Portnoy’s business venture. These are just some of the allegations circulating in the media about Portnoy.
Barstool founder dave portnoy
The sexual harassment accusations against Barstool founder Dave Portnoy are nothing new. He has been the target of a scorched-earth campaign against his critics. Fans of the company refer to themselves as “Stoolies” and harass those they consider his opponents. Moreover, many “Stoolies” have engaged in open sexual harassment of their victims online.
After the incident, Portnoy returned to his gambling hobby. He opened a sportsbook house, named Barstool Sportsbook, in Hoboken. His company’s revenue was estimated to reach $200 million this year, but he could only meet that figure if he kept up his appearances. One of his bets was worth $500,000 on the Green Bay Packers. Apparently, this was enough to cause concern among Barstool’s executives.
Since then, more women have come forward about Portnoy’s sexual harassment. Some of these women said their encounters with Portnoy were horrifying. A few even said they were suicidal. Some were afraid to talk about the abuse because they were afraid of reprisals.
Alleged sexual encounters with women as young as 19
Portnoy denied the allegations, and has since released a 12-minute video in response. He said he never did anything strange or non-consensual with any girl. He also said that he did not have any regrets about any of the sex he had with women. In his video, he cited the cancel culture as a reason for the allegations.
The first alleged encounter occurred at age 21, when Kayla contacted Dave Portnoy via social media. The two later met in New York. “We had some sex and he chocked me really hard,” Kayla said. She said the experience was so intense that she could barely breathe.
In February 2022, Insider published a follow-up report that contained allegations that Portnoy filmed multiple women during sex without their consent. While Portnoy denied the claims, he filed a lawsuit against the magazine for defamation and invasion of privacy.
Attempts to silence women who spoke out
Attempts to silence women who spoke out were made to be laughed at and dismissed by a legion of Barstool fans, including Portnoy. The comedian’s supporters have used abusive terms, doxing, and death threats to harass women and their families. Barstool fans have also targeted female journalists, accusing them of having political agendas from the start. Such abuse is uncalled for and must be condemned.
In addition, Portnoy has not apologized for his comments despite multiple calls from people around the country. He has not apologized to the employees of color who contacted him to voice their concerns. He has not apologized for his remarks about the controversial videos.
Portnoy has been under fire for his actions after at least four women have spoken out. One of them, Julia Black, has accused him of sending her unsolicited videos. In response, Portnoy has tweeted a four-page letter from his attorney demanding that the woman retract her statements. Portnoy also announced that he is suing Black.
Backers of Portnoy
Several women have accused Dave Portnoy of sexual misconduct. One woman, Kayla, was 21 when she contacted the former Nantucket resident. The two initially agreed to meet at a local bar. However, the pair never made it that far. A second woman claimed Portnoy choked her and spit in her mouth. Although she did not describe the experience as sexual assault, she felt preyed upon. A third woman says Portnoy filmed her without her permission. All three women spoke anonymously because they were afraid of retaliation from Portnoy.
Portnoy denied the allegations, but has defended his actions. In a lengthy rebuttal, he claimed that his sexual encounters were consensual. In addition, he shared graphic text message exchanges with the accusers. He also claimed that the women continued to send him unsolicited messages after the relationships ended.
The bar, Kite and Key in Franklintown, received some of the Barstool Fund money for four months. The bar’s owner, Jim Kirk, says the accusations against Portnoy are unsubstantiated. Another Philadelphia bar, the Reading Terminal Market, launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep its doors open. The bar, which was in financial trouble last fall, raised about half of its $250,000 goal through the campaign. It also received funding from Penn National Gaming, which helped keep the doors open.