Nine Advertisers Flee 'I've Had It' Podcast Over Charlie Kirk Clip

At least nine companies have pulled sponsorships from the podcast "I've Had It" after a 39-second clip of its hosts laughing about the assassinated activist Charlie Kirk drew nearly 6 million views on X. Chewy, Cash App, Zenni, Casper and Honeylove are among the brands that cut ties within days of the clip going viral last week.

The clip, which has accumulated about 18,000 likes, showed hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan laughing at an X post referencing Kirk, the right-wing political activist who was assassinated last year. Users on X called for a boycott of the progressive-leaning culture and politics podcast. Advertisers began distancing themselves almost immediately.

How did the advertisers respond?

Chewy addressed the controversy directly on X on November 7, 2026. "We do not sponsor or support the 'I've Had It' podcast. We unequivocally condemn violence in all forms," the company said. "The comments made by the hosts do not reflect Chewy's values or what we stand for as a company."

Chewy CEO Sumit Singh doubled down on the decision in his own X post. Honeylove followed with its own statement on Sunday. "Honeylove has ended our partnership with the I've Had It podcast. Violence of any kind is never acceptable, and those comments do not reflect our values," the brand wrote.

Welch and Sullivan apologized on the podcast's Instagram account on Saturday. "It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret it, and we apologize," the statement read. "Whatever our political differences, there is nothing funny about gun violence."

The hosts also disclosed a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety, which describes itself as the largest gun-violence-prevention organization in the United States.

What does this change for podcast advertisers?

The episode shows how quickly a short clip can move brand budgets. A 39-second segment, amplified by a boycott campaign on X, cost the show at least nine sponsors in roughly a week. For marketers, the case illustrates that sponsorship risk now attaches to any moment of a show, not just its editorial line. The apology and the donation did not restore the partnerships.

The pattern extends beyond this podcast. ABC, owned by the Walt Disney Company, suspended and later reinstated Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show over his remarks about Kirk. Major companies including Office Depot and Nasdaq disciplined employees who posted negative remarks about Kirk online.

Is this part of a wider advertiser backlash?

The "Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway" podcast faces its own advertising boycott calls. During the first stop on the Pivot Tour 2026, Galloway called Elon Musk a "traitor to the West" and referenced the Rosenbergs, who were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage during the Cold War and executed by the federal government.

The remarks drew criticism from Jason Calacanis of the "All-In" podcast and from University of California San Diego professor Brian Keating. Blake Scholl, CEO of the aerospace company Boom Supersonic, wrote on X on Friday that Galloway is an investor in Boom and criticized his comments.

"I don't mind disagreements but calling for an execution of a non-criminal (worse, an actual hero!) is a step too far," Scholl wrote. "Working to arrange a buy-out of his shares."

Two weeks of controversy have now linked advertiser exits, host suspensions and employee discipline to a single trigger: public commentary about Charlie Kirk. Whether the boycott campaigns against "Pivot" produce the same sponsor losses as the "I've Had It" clip will test how durable this pressure model becomes for podcast advertising.