Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, is in hot water over recent allegations of sexual misconduct. And this may be hurting his business. But now Dave Portnoy is fighting back.
Last week, the 44-year-old businessman was accused by a number of women of taking them on abusive and humiliating trysts. One accuser told Business Insider of Dave Portnoy’s behavior, “It was so rough I felt like I was being raped. He videotaped me and spit in my mouth and choked me so hard I couldn’t breathe.”
“It was so painful,” she added. “I kept trying to get away and he was like, ‘Stop running away from me,’” and then “just went harder.”
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The accusations are now causing Portnoy and his Barstoll Sports a headache when it come to new business ventures. This even includes famed rapper and investor Jay-Z, also known as Mr. Beyoncé Knowles.
The New York State Gaming Commission has rejected a bid made by Jay-Z, Fanatics and Barstool’s Sportsbook to offer mobile or online sports betting in New York. The New York Post reported that the group did not make the cut for the final two in competition for the job, coming in fourth.
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My Response To The Business Insider Hit Piece That Has Been 8 Months In The Making (Part 1/2) pic.twitter.com/gwrO07uIEE
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) November 4, 2021
BetMGM was one of the two firms to win a contract. Adam Greenbalatt, CEO of BetMGM, said, “We’re pleased to share that BetMGM has been granted a license to operate mobile sports betting in New York, a state vital to ensuring nationwide leadership in sports betting and iGaming over time.”
The final decision, however, was said to not be due to any scandals and was said to have been made based solely on the merits of the respective bids.
Regardless, Dave Portnoy is striking back. In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, Portnoy said of the investigation into the charges against him, “They found virtually nothing. There’s one incidence… I’m basically accused of going to a local cookie shop with a different girl every few days. So that is the gist of it.”
Dismissing coverage of the charges as nothing more than “Clickbait,” Portnoy said, “They just lead you to water and want you to drink with sensationalistic headlines. If I read about myself not knowing me, I’d be like, ‘ooh, this is a bad guy.’ If you dig into it, there’s absolutely nothing there.”