Dave Portnoy says he and girlfriend Silvana Mojica broke up because they wanted different things in life.
The Barstool Sports founder, 46, explained why he decided to sever ties with the influencer, 28, on his “BFFs” podcast Wednesday, just one week after she revealed they were no longer together.
“We were dating for three years and 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,” Portnoy explained.
“She’s so beautiful, she’s funny, she’s smart, she’s all these things,” he continued.
Portnoy, who admitted that it was “probably a me-issue,” doesn’t think he is “the guy that she is looking for and is going to be able to provide her with what she needs down the road.”
Portnoy said he felt like he was “stealing [Mojica’s] youth” but didn’t elaborate on whether or not it had to do with the brunette beauty wanting to settle down.
Portnoy also shot down speculation that he cheated and purposely broke up with Mojica right before Thanksgiving, saying he didn’t “plan” for it to happen.
“I got back on a Sunday from traveling, we broke up that Sunday night and it wasn’t expected. We got into a conversation that was kinda organic and one thing led to another. It was obviously something that was on my mind.”
He also noted that it wasn’t “the first time” the pair had discussed their future so the split wasn’t entirely “out of left field” — even if he admits it was poor timing.
In fact, he says that both of their parents were in town when the unexpected split happened and he didn’t sleep for “a week” afterwards.
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Despite the fact that Mojica has posted several videos about the breakup online, Portnoy insisted that he is also struggling from the “s—tty situation.”
“I lost my best friend as well,” he said, noting that he still “loves” Mojica and is “very concerned [with] what happens to her.”
Yet Portnoy, who was living with Mojica at the time of their split, wishes nothing but the best for his now ex.
“I hope that best case scenario in five years she looks back and she is happy and she has found her soulmate and that she is like, ‘yeah that was actually the right thing at that time.’”
He then encouraged his fans to “go follow her and support her” in hopes that she “makes more money” than him one day and is “happy.”
The marketing professional announced last week that she and Portnoy broke up in an emotional TikTok video in which she sat on the floor crying while sifting through items she had bought for the media mogul.
“Imagine you buy these for someone and then get broken up with,” Mojica, who began dating Portnoy in March 2021, captioned a clip.
Portnoy later confirmed to Page Six that they had indeed called it quits while denying rumors that he cheated with “Vanderpump Rules” alum Rachel “Raquel” Leviss after they were spotted in the same small town near Chicago.
“It’s kinda wild when I just had a breakup which is hard enough to go through without hearing I f–ked that lady,” he told us on Friday.
Prior to his romance with Mojica, Portnoy was married to Renee Satterthwaite from 2009 to 2017.
