Dave Portnoy and Mina Kimes (Photos Via Google)
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is stirring controversy once again, this time, he’s targeting ESPN and NFL analyst Mina Kimes.

Portnoy slammed Kimes online Friday morning, calling her a “hypocrite” over what he sees as her selective outrage surrounding s3xual misconduct allegations- specifically, the recent lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe.

Sharpe, 56, announced Thursday that he’s temporarily stepping away from ESPN following a $50 million rpe lawsuit filed by a former girlfriend. The woman alleges that Sharpe initiated a relationship with her when she was just 19.

A second woman, Michele Evans, also came forward in an interview with the Daily Mail, sharing her own claims of s3xual assault involving the former NFL star. Despite denying the allegations, Sharpe stepped aside from his appearances on First Take while declaring his intent to return for the NFL preseason.

Fans React And Dave Portnoy Weighs In

Mina Kimes (Photo By Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

On Friday’s First Take, Mina Kimes appeared on the panel without Sharpe and addressed the ongoing NFL Draft coverage without mentioning the allegations. That silence didn’t sit well with Portnoy. He pointed to what he sees as a double standard, highlighting Kimes’ 2021 tweet about a report from Insider.com detailing s3xual misconduct accusations against him. At the time, Kimes described the report as “really upsetting” and praised it as “well reported,” saying too many people still don’t understand consent.

 

Portnoy fired back on social media Friday, saying, “Hypocrite is an understatement.” He claimed he sent Kimes what he described as “a mountain of evidence” debunking the Insider article and asked for a retraction. “Instead she blocked me,” he wrote. “Hypocrite is an understatement.”

The Insider report, published in 2021, accused Portnoy of engaging in degrading and painful s3xual encounters. He sued the publication for defamation in 2022, but a judge dismissed the case, citing a lack of evidence of malicious intent. Portnoy eventually dropped his appeal in early 2023.

Sharpe, meanwhile, defended himself in a public statement Thursday, saying, “The relationship in question was 100% consensual.” He added, “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations.” ESPN acknowledged Sharpe’s decision to step away, calling the situation “serious” in a statement shared with The Athletic.

Online, fans remain split. Some call out ESPN for what they see as inconsistent accountability, while others defend Kimes, saying she’s not obligated to comment on every situation. For now, both Sharpe and Portnoy remain off the air but very much at the center of public attention.