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‘Pure Tabloid, Smear Journalism’: Daily Wire Co-Founder Rips Business Insider Report On Dave Portnoy

   DailyWire.com
HALLANDALE, FLORIDA - JANUARY 25: Dave Portnoy attends the 2020 Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series at Gulfstream Park on January 25, 2020 in Hallandale, Florida. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Stronach Group)
Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Stronach Group

Daily Wire co-founder and co-CEO Jeremy Boreing defended Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on Saturday after Business Insider (BI) published a critical piece on some of Portnoy’s sexual encounters.

“Consent isn’t the only moral standard, but it is the relevant legal standard. Dave Portnoy is not accused of a crime. FULL STOP,” Boreing tweeted. “[Business Insider], which is usually a terrific publication, engaged in pure tabloid, smear journalism here.”

BI published a report Thursday detailing several consensual sexual encounters Portnoy had with college-age women. The women, who were not named out of fear of retribution, said they later regretted hooking up with Portnoy. Two of the women accused Portnoy of choking and hurting them during sex.

An attorney for Barstool Sports said in a statement that the accusations made in the BI article “embody half-truths, are highly misleading, lack appropriate context, and appear to have been provided to you by individuals whose motivations and trustworthiness should at least have been fully vetted.”

Since the article was published, Portnoy has aggressively pushed back against the allegations over Twitter while slamming BI, BI reporter Julia Black, BI founder and CEO Henry Blodget, and others. Portnoy invited Blodget and others onto his Barstool podcast “The Dave Portnoy Show” to defend BI’s article, but BI declined the request, according to a screenshot of an email Portnoy posted to his Twitter.

Portnoy has also accused BI of reaching out to Barstool’s advertisers to “threaten” them over the exposé into Portnoy’s sex life. Portnoy posted a screenshot of an email a BI reporter allegedly sent to one of Barstool’s partners asking about the story and any “discussions regarding those partnerships and/or ad placements.”

Boreing encouraged Portnoy’s supporters and others to stand with the Barstool Sports founder, commending Portnoy for fighting back against BI and its efforts to “[target] his advertisers and supporters.” Boreing said:

It’s a shame there are girls who’ve never been taught the simple truth that if you DM a celeb, sext him, fly to his house, and hook up with him, you may not feel great about yourself after. It’s sad society failed to explain reality to you. But regret is not rape.

Based on what we know – and we shouldn’t know anything – I can only conclude that Portnoy is handling this the exact right way – on his terms. He’s right to defend himself, right to defend his company, and right to return fire against the hypocrites trying to bring him down.

It’s a kind of heroism to stand against this sort of attack. Most people crumble, apologize to the world – as though they wronged the world, which they didn’t – and beg to be restored to the good graces of our overlords. They never are.

This guy can’t be cancelled because he won’t quit. I pity the bastards targeting his advertisers and audience. He can’t be controlled because he doesn’t work for you. Like him or lump him, he deserves our respect and support in this fight. #everybodyknowstherules

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