"This guy is the worst"— Internet reacts to CNN panelist Angela Rye calling out Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary for touching her during the debate
Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary is facing backlash online after CNN guest Angela Rye called him out for touching her during a heated debate on CNN NewsNight. The incident occurred during a discussion on Elon Musk's political donations, with Rye firmly telling O'Leary to respect her personal space.
His response, "I won't ever do it again," only intensified reactions, as viewers took to social media to express their opinions on the exchange.
The confrontation happened on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip on Wednesday, March 20, 2025. During the discussion, Rye, former executive director and general counsel to the Congressional Black Caucus, argued that Musk's donations to Republican lawmakers went beyond lobbying and were potentially illegal.
Kevin O'Leary defended the billionaire, asserting that “no laws have been broken” and dismissing the controversy as part of politics.
At one point in the conversation, O'Leary touched Rye off-camera, prompting her to respond, "You don't have to touch me." O'Leary replied, "I did that nicely." Rye reiterated, "I don't want you to touch me. That's my personal space." O'Leary then said, "I won't ever do it again."
The exchange quickly spread online, with many criticizing O'Leary's behavior. One Reddit user stated,
"This guy is the worst. I hate people who talk in that faux caring type fake soft polite voice."
"The sneer while he said 'I’'l never do it again.' F*ck this guy," another Reddit user commented.
Many Reddit users also related to Rye’s reaction, emphasizing the discomfort that comes with unwanted physical contact.
"Hate when people touch you for no reason and invade your personal space," a Reddit user wrote.
"More often then not I see men respond with "fine, I'll never touch you again!!!" like they think the women would/should be devastated and take it back," another Reddit user wrote.
The incident also reignited criticism of CNN NewsNight and its handling of political discourse. Some viewers expressed frustration over the show’s panel format, suggesting that it enables misinformation and political spin.
"I can’t watch this show anymore. I don’t care for the both sides-ing it tries to do. The lies and spinning O'Leary, Jennings, and all the other f*scists on this show do give me so much anxiety. We should listen to Kendrick and turn the tv off," one viewer wrote.
"I watch Abby's panel every night (I clearly hate myself I know) and Kevin and Scott are SO F*CKING bad it literally kills me to watch them yell such lies and hardly ever get checked. Glad she did," some person shared.
Kevin O'Leary's background and past controversies
Kevin O’Leary, widely known as "Mr. Wonderful" from Shark Tank, is a Canadian businessman, investor, and television personality. He co-founded the software company SoftKey, which later became The Learning Company and was sold to Mattel for $4.2 billion in 1999, as reported by the National Observer.
Since then, he has gained fame as a venture capitalist and media figure, appearing on reality TV shows like Shark Tank and Dragon's Den.
Kevin O'Leary has faced controversies in the past, including criticism for his blunt and often aggressive business tactics. In 2019, he was involved in a fatal boat crash in Canada, which resulted in the deaths of two people. His wife, who was driving the boat, was later acquitted of all charges, as reported by FandomWire in October 2024.
As reported by Business Insider in 2014, Kevin O'Leary has also been criticized for his comments about income inequality, once stating that it was "fantastic" that 85 people controlled as much wealth as half the world’s population.
Currently, Kevin O'Leary remains active as a venture capitalist, investor, and political commentator. He continues to appear on Shark Tank and regularly provides economic and political analysis on television.
