SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Yiannopoulos quits over child sex comments

Milo Yiannopoulos, the conservative media personality under fire for comments that appeared to condone sex with children, has resigned from Breitbart News.

Milo Yiannopoulos
Milo Yiannopoulos.. Source: AP

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Milo Yiannopoulos has resigned from Breitbart News after coming under fire over his comments on sexual relationships between boys and older men.

The Conservative Political Action Conference withdrew its invitation to the controversial alt-right commentator on Monday after video of his remarks was promoted through social media.

Publisher Simon & Schuster and its Threshold Editions imprint later announced it would cancel the publication of his book, Dangerous.

Yiannopoulos, 32, said at a news conference on Tuesday he was quitting as editor of Breitbart Tech because it would be wrong "to allow my poor choice of words to detract from my colleagues' important reporting".

"I regret the things that I said," Yiannopoulos said, while calling the furore over his comments a "cynical media witch hunt".

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

He said other publishers were interested in his book and announced he would launch a new media company.

In the video, a 2016 episode of podcast The Drunken Peasants, Yiannopoulos discussed his own experience with sexual assault as a teenager.

He argued in the clip that relationships between "younger boys and older men" could be beneficial.

Yiannopoulos has built a media profile out of outrageous statements and comments on feminists, Muslims and Black Lives Matter activists that have been criticised as sexist and racist.

His appearances have triggered protests on US college campuses, including a demonstration earlier in February that turned violent at University of California at Berkeley, forcing the event's cancellation.

Breitbart News is considered by many a platform for the so-called "alt-right" movement, an offshoot of conservatism that mixes racism, white nationalism and populism.

The media company was previously run by Steve Bannon, who is now a senior adviser in the Trump White House.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world