Dave Portnoy isn’t buying the idea that Jimmy Kimmel is a victim of cancel culture. The Barstool Sports founder says the late-night host’s suspension is the result of his own actions — not some orchestrated campaign to silence him.
Kimmel Pulled Off the Air
ABC announced this week that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be taken off the air “for the foreseeable future” following Kimmel’s controversial remarks about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
The 31-year-old Kirk was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University, and Kimmel drew outrage with his Monday night monologue in which he claimed the “MAGA gang” was trying to spin the tragedy for political gain.
The backlash was immediate. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said Kimmel’s comments represented “some of the sickest conduct possible” and confirmed that the FCC was considering possible actions. Nexstar Media Group, which owns ABC affiliates across the country, also announced it would replace Kimmel’s show in its markets. Kimmel, according to reports, was “livid” after being told he would not be allowed to address the controversy on air Wednesday night.
Portnoy Weighs In
While some Hollywood names defended Kimmel and accused ABC of bowing to pressure, Portnoy pushed back, arguing that the host was simply facing “consequences for his actions.”
“With Kimmel getting canned I’m seeing lots of people talking about the hypocrisy of cancel culture,” Portnoy wrote on X. “To me cancel culture is when people go out of their way to dig up old tweets, videos, etc., looking for dirt on somebody they don’t like in an effort to get them fired.
“Like if Kimmel got canceled for s— he did on The Man Show that would be cancel culture. But when a person says something that a ton of people find offensive, rude, [and] dumb in real time and then that person is punished for it — that’s not cancel culture. That is consequences for your actions.”
Portnoy’s Own Controversy
The Barstool boss has been in the headlines himself this week for firing a Texas Tech Barstool intern who posted condolences to Kirk’s family on social media. The intern went public, blasting Portnoy and the company for hypocrisy. Portnoy fired back, saying the dismissal had nothing to do with the message itself but with the fact that interns are barred from posting personal or political opinions on official Barstool accounts.
“He was the only one who didn’t [follow the rules], and then he also started fighting with people in the comments,” Portnoy said. “It had nothing to do with what he said and just how we run a massive intern program.”
Fallout for Kimmel
Kimmel’s future remains uncertain. His comments not only angered conservatives but also drew scrutiny after he falsely suggested that accused shooter Tyler Robinson — who has been charged with aggravated murder — was politically conservative. Investigators have said Robinson actually identified with far-left ideologies and was in a relationship with his transgender roommate.
For today, ABC has pulled Kimmel indefinitely, and his critics — like Portnoy — say that’s simply accountability in action. Whether or not the suspension becomes permanent may depend on how the network, the FCC, and the viewing public respond in the coming weeks.
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