While Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy was addressing the “stinky situation” that is his breakup from Silvana Mojica, he shared some major details of a surprising feud with Bethenny Frankel, who weighed in some internet rumors that started swirling after his recent split.
“I know your audience, first of all,” Portnoy, 46, said about Frankel during the Wednesday, November 29, episode of his “BFFs” podcast. “You think I give a f—k what you think?”
After Mojica, 28, announced that she and Portnoy, 46, had broken up earlier this month, rumors started to swirl that the Portnoy had cheated on her with Vanderpump Rules alum Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. (Leviss was embroiled in a cheating scandal involving Tom Sandoval and his girlfriend of nine years, Ariana Madix earlier this year.)
When Portnoy caught wind of, what he called, the “insane” rumors — a reporter had reached out to him — he publicly slammed Leviss, 29.
“I can confirm I’ve never met that trash bag in my life and it’s wildly insulting to even be mentioned in the same sentence as her,” he told Page Six in a statement on November 24.
Upon hearing the “trash bag” comment, Frankel, 53, texted Portnoy at “1 a.m.” and asked him if he knew Leviss.
“I only know her from being the trash bag from Vanderpump Rules,” he stated, claiming Frankel had asked him to apologize to Leviss. (Frankel’s apparent support of Leviss comes months after the Pump Rules alum appeared on the former Real Housewives of New York City star’s “ReWives” podcast in August and news Frankel is producing Leviss’ upcoming podcast.)
“Bethenny — who I’d say I’m acquaintances, friendly with — texts me and she asks that about Raquel and then she’s like ‘You owe her an apology, it’s not true what happened.’ Like, what are you talking about?” he said on Wednesday’s “BFFs” episode. “I was like, ‘I gotta be honest … I would never give unsolicited advice to somebody that has our relationship.’”
Portnoy’s cohost Brianna LaPaglia (otherwise known as Bri Chickenfry) said Frankel was “out of pocket” for texting Portnoy regarding the rumors.
Frankel, addressed his “unprovoked” comments about Leviss in a since-deleted TikTok from November 25, which has since been reshared.
“He doesn’t know Raquel, they’ve never met. She has made mistakes, but whatever he’s saying about her is based on an edited, alcohol-fueled, produced reality show,” she said. “He’s going through a bad breakup and I’m sure his ex gave him a lot of s—t about being linked to Raquel but that’s not an excuse to say something like that to anyone, much less a woman.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Portnoy said his comments about Leviss were no different than what the public “said a million times” in the wake of Scandoval.
Portnoy also offered some insight into his and Mojica’s breakup during the podcast episode, noting that the split was ultimately his doing.
“We were dating for three years,” he said. “I guess you get to a point where you think maybe there’s a difference in what somebody wants and what the other person wants and without going into too much detail, I just didn’t think I could give Silvana kind of what she deserves.”
