Milo Yiannopoulos' job at Breitbart could be collateral damage of his comments on underage sex, which already cost the controversial journalist the keynote spot at this week's Conservative Political Action Conference and his Simon and Schuster book deal, according to Fox Business.
"People inside Breitbart say that the decision on whether to keep Yiannopoulos will ultimately be a business one; senior executives there are weighing how 'damaging his comments are to the Breitbart brand,' said one person with knowledge of the matter," Fox Business' Brian Schwartz and Charlie Gasparino reported.
Yiannopoulos' comments, made during an appearance on a podcast called Drunken Peasants earlier this year, were made public again over the weekend by the conservative site The Reagan Battalion, which tweeted videos.
Yiannopoulos spoke out after the comments sparked a firestorm, saying he never condoned child sexual abuse and insisting that he himself is a victim, The New York Times reported.
"I do not support pedophilia. Period," Yiannopoulos said in a Facebook statement. "It is a vile and disgusting crime, perhaps the very worst. There are selectively edited videos doing the rounds, as part of a co-ordinated effort to discredit me from establishment Republicans, that suggest I am soft on the subject."
"If it somehow comes across (through my own sloppy phrasing or through deceptive editing) that I meant any of the ugly things alleged, let me set the record straight: I am completely disgusted by the abuse of children," he continued.
Matt Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union, said on Twitter that Yiannopoulos has been disinvited from CPAC, where he was set to deliver the keynote address.
"We realize that Mr. Yiannopoulos has responded on Facebook but this is insufficient," Schlapp said in the ACU statement. "It is up to him to answer the tough questions and we urge him to immediately further address these disturbing comments."
CPAC, which will feature many of the leading conservatives from around the country, kicks off Wednesday at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in suburban Washington, D.C.
Yiannopoulos, who said Simon and Schuster also canceled the release of his upcoming book "Dangersous," announced that he will hold a news conference in New York City at 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to his Facebook page.
Yiannopoulos made national headlines last month when the University of California, Berkeley canceled a speech after students rioted in protest against his appearance, sparking a debate about free speech on campus, according to The New York Times.
The cancellation caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who appeared to threaten to withhold federal funds from the university on Twitter.
Last July, Yiannopoulos was banned permanently from Twitter for allegedly posting abusive tweets against "Saturday Night Live" comedian and "Ghostbusters" actress Leslie Jones, The Huffington Post reported. The website claimed that Yiannopoulos had encouraged his followers to harass Jones as well.
Jones tweeted Monday that she believes Yiannopoulos is receiving too much attention.
"You guys are giving him (too) much energy. I was done the day I blocked him & got his a** banned. Been done and moved on. He has no space here," Jones said in her Twitter post.