A tweet purportedly written by conservative media personality Ben Shapiro in August 2020 reads, "You know how much this endless parade of jokes about me and my wife bothers me? Not one bit. My wife and I both know there are much more important things in a marriage than sexual satisfaction."
The supposed tweet, likely inspired by the time Shapiro attempted to critique the explicit lyrics of "WAP," a song by rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion that focuses on female sexual pleasure, has been circulating in screenshot form since at least 2021.
Shared by @MuellerSheWrote, the screenshot was attached to a tweet posted on June 19, 2021, that read, "THIS JUST IN: man can't stop admitting he sucks at sex."
THIS JUST IN: man can't stop admitting he sucks at sex. pic.twitter.com/EGe9hrdrSf
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) June 19, 2021
The screenshot is not real. We found no evidence that Shapiro had tweeted this on his social media account. We also looked through Polititweet, a deleted-tweet tracker and found no evidence there that he tweeted and deleted it.
Rather, it is one of a number of online jokes made at Shapiro's expense about his sexual prowess. In August 2020, Shapira was caught up in controversy when he attempted to dissect the lyrics to "WAP" in an episode of his podcast. His stiff and monotone reading of the explicit language became an internet punchline.
You can hear part of his recitation at the 4:08 mark:
After his recitation, he said on his show, "Guys, this is what feminists fought for. This is what the feminist movement is all about. It's not really about women being treated as independent, full-rounded human beings. It's about wet a– p-word. And if you say anything differently, [it's] because you're a misogynist, you see."
Many online joked that Shapiro's commentary was a big turn-off for listeners:
Cardi B - WAP feat. Ben Shapiro pic.twitter.com/OzbKwJLRby
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) August 10, 2020
Many doctors now saying Ben Shapiro talking is the most effective way to prevent WAP
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) August 10, 2020
On Aug. 10, 2023, Shapiro slapped back at his critics with a pair of sarcastic tweets:
As I also discussed on the show, my only real concern is that the women involved -- who apparently require a "bucket and a mop" -- get the medical care they require. My doctor wife's differential diagnosis: bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection, or trichomonis.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 10, 2020
This resulted in more jokes about Shapiro's own supposed lack of sexual prowess, for example:
Ben, Ben, Ben... I think your wife was trying to make you feel better about having never turned her on. Your wife is lying to you, Ben. Aroused women get wet. As pretty much every other woman on the planet who has ever been aroused will tell you.
— Miz // MizLNicTeàrlach (@MizLiot) August 14, 2020
The "more important things than sexual satisfaction" example is not the first fake tweet attributed to Ben Shapiro that we have debunked. He has been a frequent subject of ridicule from his critics.
Given that there is no evidence of Shapiro ever tweeting this, and that it is clearly a joke based on the time he weighed in on the lyrics of "WAP," we rate the claim that he tweeted it as "False."