At Least 9 Advertisers Drop the I’ve Had It Podcast After a 39-Second Charlie Kirk Clip

The I’ve Had It podcast has lost at least nine sponsors in a matter of days after a 39-second clip of its hosts laughing at a joke about Charlie Kirk spread across social media. Hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan have since apologized, calling the joke “insensitive” and saying they should not have laughed.

What happened on the I’ve Had It podcast

On Thursday’s episode, the pair read social media reactions to Tuesday’s midterm elections. The Independent reports that Democrats took control of the House and Senate and won key governors’ races. One post they read said, “We’re digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again.” Both hosts laughed. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated at age 31 during an outdoor campus event in Utah in September 2025.

The moment was clipped and posted to X, where Business Insider says it drew nearly 6 million views. Critics called for a boycott. The segment has since been removed from the episode, though copies of the clip remain online.

Sponsors pull out

The advertiser reaction was fast. After one X user urged followers to boycott Cash App for sponsoring the show, the company said Friday that it does not condone violence of any kind and was no longer a sponsor. On Saturday, Chewy said it does not sponsor or support the podcast, adding that the hosts’ comments “do not reflect Chewy’s values.” Its CEO, Sumit Singh, publicly backed the decision.

Other brands followed. Zenni said it had canceled its advertising and was reviewing podcast placements against its brand safety standards. Casper and Honeylove also cut ties, and Honeylove posted its announcement Sunday. Boll & Branch said it does not currently advertise on the show and will not in the future. Business Insider put the total at no fewer than nine companies.

The hosts’ apology and donation

Welch and Sullivan responded Saturday in a statement on the show’s Instagram account. “It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret it, and we apologize,” they wrote. They added that “there is nothing funny about gun violence,” noted their long-standing support for gun safety reform, and said they had donated to Everytown for Gun Safety. They closed by promising to keep using their platforms “to fight for the safety of all Americans.”

Reaction to the apology was mixed. Some commenters on one report suggested it came only after the financial pressure began. The sources do not show whether any sponsors have reconsidered.

A familiar pattern since Kirk’s death

The episode fits a pattern that has followed Kirk’s killing. Business Insider notes that ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show over his remarks about Kirk before reinstating it, and that companies including Office Depot and Nasdaq disciplined employees over negative online comments. Brands have also shown how quickly they will respond to online pressure. In the I’ve Had It podcast’s case, several announced their exits on X within a day or two of the clip gaining traction.

For a podcast that depends on advertising, the episode shows how little time a single viral moment needs to put revenue at risk. The longer-term effect on the show’s finances remains unclear.

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