'I've Had It' Podcast Loses Advertisers Over Charlie Kirk Joke as Hosts Apologize

At least nine companies have pulled their sponsorships from I’ve Had It, the progressive-leaning podcast hosted by Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan, after a clip of the two laughing at a social media post about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk spread on X, according to Business Insider. The hosts apologized on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, calling the joke “insensitive” and saying they had made a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety.

The episode at the center of the dispute was released on Thursday, Nov. 5, according to Variety. During it, the hosts read social media posts reacting to Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which, The Independent reported, Democrats took control of the House and Senate and won key governors’ races. One post read, “We’re digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again.” TheWrap reported that the line drew an extended round of stifled laughter before Welch said, “No comment.”

How the clip spread

The segment has since been cut from the episode but was reshared online, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported. Business Insider reported that the 39-second clip shared to X had nearly 6 million views and 18,000 likes, and that some X users who criticized it called for a boycott of the podcast.

Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was assassinated at age 31 during an outdoor event on a college campus in Utah in September 2025, The Independent reported. Business Insider noted that other hosts have landed in trouble over comments about Kirk, citing ABC’s suspension and later reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show.

Which sponsors cut ties

Cash App was among the first brands to respond. “We do not condone violence of any kind, and we are no longer sponsors of this podcast,” the payments service wrote on X. Variety, The Independent and Mediaite reported that the post was published on Friday. The Independent reported that the post came in response to a user who had urged followers to boycott Cash App over its sponsorship.

Chewy, the online pet retailer, said on Saturday that it does not sponsor the show. “We do not sponsor or support the ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast. We unequivocally condemn violence in all forms. The comments made by the hosts do not reflect Chewy’s values or what we stand for as a company,” the company wrote on X. Business Insider reported that Chewy CEO Sumit Singh backed the decision in a post of his own.

Eyewear seller Zenni wrote that it “does not condone violence of any type” and added, “We have canceled advertising on I’ve Had It and are reviewing our podcast placements against our brand safety standards,” according to The Independent. Mediaite reported that suitcase maker NOBL Travel told an X user it had ended its deal with the show, saying, “We do not condone violence or the promotion of violence in any form.” Bedding company Boll & Branch said it “does not currently advertise” with the podcast “and will not in the future.”

Business Insider reported that the mattress company Casper and the shapewear brand Honeylove also cut ties. “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,” Honeylove said on X on Sunday, Nov. 8. TheWrap reported that, at the time of its Saturday story, ads for luggage brand Monos and wallet company Ridge were still playing on the podcast’s YouTube page amid calls for those companies to drop it.

The hosts’ apology

Welch and Sullivan posted a joint statement on the podcast’s Instagram account on Saturday. “On Thursday’s show, we laughed at a joke about Charlie Kirk. 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. We’ve long supported common-sense gun safety reform.”

The statement continued: “To that end, we’ve made a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in America.” It concluded, “We’ll keep using our platforms to fight for the safety of all Americans.” TheWrap reported that supporters filled the comments on the post with some writing that the hosts did not need to apologize.

Who the hosts are

Welch and Sullivan co-starred on the Bravo series Sweet Home Oklahoma before launching I’ve Had It in 2022, according to a September 2024 announcement from PodcastOne, the LiveOne-owned network that said at the time it had renewed its exclusive sales and distribution agreement for the show. The release said the podcast had released 181 episodes and garnered nearly 30 million downloads. It also cited the show’s first iHeartRadio Podcast Awards nominations, in 2024, for Best Pop Culture Podcast and Best Emerging Podcast.

In the same announcement, PodcastOne said it was adding the hosts’ sister show, IHIP News, which covers political news, to its roster, and that former President Barack Obama would appear on a Sept. 5, 2024, episode of I’ve Had It. Mediaite reported that the hosts now have about 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.3 million followers on Instagram, and described the program as one of the biggest progressive podcasts.

A wider brand-safety debate

The advertiser exits come as other podcasts face boycott campaigns. Business Insider reported that Pivot, the business and technology podcast hosted by Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, has been targeted by calls for an advertising boycott after Galloway, during the first stop of the Pivot Tour 2026, called Elon Musk a “traitor to the West” and referenced Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl wrote on X that Galloway was an investor in the company and that he was “working to arrange a buy-out of his shares,” according to Business Insider.

Sources

• Business Insider: Chewy and other companies pull ads from ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast after hosts laugh at ‘insensitive’ Charlie Kirk joke
• TheWrap: ‘I’ve Had It’ Podcasters Apologize for ‘Insensitive’ Charlie Kirk Joke as Advertisers Cut Ties
• Variety: ‘I’ve Had It’ Podcast Hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan Apologize for Laughing at Charlie Kirk Joke
• The Hollywood Reporter: Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan Apologize for Laughing at “Insensitive Joke” About Charlie Kirk
• The Independent: Popular progressive podcast sees sponsors flee after ‘insensitive’ Charlie Kirk joke
• Mediaite: Sponsors Ditch Progressive Podcasters Who Cackled at ‘Insensitive’ Charlie Kirk Joke
• PodcastOne: PodcastOne and Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan Renew Exclusive Agreement for I’ve Had It (Sept. 5, 2024)