{"id":303,"date":"2026-07-05T18:27:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T13:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=303"},"modified":"2026-07-05T18:27:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T13:27:39","slug":"dave-portnoy-revives-alex-cooper-sofia-franklyn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=303","title":{"rendered":"Dave Portnoy revives Alex Cooper, Sofia Franklyn"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2026%2F07%2Fnewspress-collage-06qstwwgz-1783107791070.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261783093414\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Dave Portnoy just won\u2019t let the \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d saga die.<\/p>\n<p>in his new memoir,\u00a0\u201c<a data-aps-asc-tag=\"pagesix-20\" data-aps-asin=\"1668222027\" data-wrapped-template=\"https:\/\/r.pagesixlink.com?btn_ref=org-282f0dd399864b44&amp;btn_url\" href=\"https:\/\/r.pagesixlink.com?btn_ref=org-282f0dd399864b44&amp;btn_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCancel-Me-If-You-Can%2Fdp%2F1668222027%3Ftag%3Dpagesix-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fpagesix.com%2F2026%2F07%2F05%2Fcelebrity-news%2Fdave-portnoy-revives-alex-cooper-sofia-franklyn%2F%26asc_source%3Dweb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cancel Me If You Can<\/a>,\u201d the outspoken multi-millionaire founder of Barstool Sports alleges that the podcast\u2019s Alex Cooper and her former co-host, Sofia Franklyn, plotted to <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/30\/celebrity-news\/alex-cooper-sofia-franklyn-planned-to-break-barstool-contract-with-fake-sexual-harassment-claims-dave-portnoy\/\">falsely accuse him of sexual harassment<\/a> to break their contracts with his company.<\/p>\n<p>Portnoy <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/06\/29\/sports\/dave-portnoy-reveals-what-could-end-his-feud-with-roger-goodell\/\">slams Franklyn as a \u201cf\u2013king liar\u201d<\/a> \u2014 and admits to getting back at the women by conspiring to break up their partnership.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Alex Cooper (left) and Sofia Franklyn launched the \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d podcast in 2018 \u2014 but only Cooper walked away with the brand. <span class=\"credit\">Call Her Daddy\/Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And while Portnoy makes it clear he has no issue with Cooper, he does give a revealing glimpse into her steely nature.<\/p>\n<p>He details how, in 2020, Cooper ousted Franklyn from the podcast that the former pals debuted on Barstool two years prior \u2013 and how she snagged the \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d business for herself, going on to rake in an estimated $32 million in annual earnings, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/profile\/alex-cooper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-nyp-affiliate=\"true\">Forbes.<\/a><\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Cooper and Franklyn have not spoken since their split in 2021. <span class=\"credit\">Annie Wermiel\/NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cDave is an axe-to-grind person and he\u2019ll never give it up,\u201d a source in the know told Page Six, while admitting that Cooper and Franklyn were \u201cextremely difficult from the jump\u201d and reportedly \u201creally hard to manage.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were very shrewd,\u201d the source added. \u201cThey wanted what they wanted \u2014 money and fame \u2014 and they would stop at nothing to get it. it was a really dark time [at Barstool].<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis just all played out in a mean girl way, I never understood why Sofia didn\u2019t fight for a share of the IP.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Page Six has reached out to the two women for comment on Portnoy\u2019s allegations.<\/p>\n<p>Cooper, 31, and Franklyn, 33, were roommates in NYC when debuted their first episode of \u201cDaddy\u201d in October 2018 on Barstool.<\/p>\n<p>They became a huge hit among 20somethings with their raucous tales of sex and dating. But behind the scenes, things were rocky.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Dave Portnoy admits he wanted Cooper and Franklyn to set up two warring podcasts. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt was the classic [example of] you think you see something online and people genuinely believe you\u2019re like sisters, but our relationship was so awful,&#8217;\u201d Cooper l<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2023\/11\/08\/celebrity-news\/alex-cooper-sofia-franklyn-friendship-was-so-bad-behind-the-scenes\/\">ater revealed<\/a> on her Hulu docu-series, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hulu.com\/series\/call-her-alex-876da090-e7c0-4ad1-91cd-943a9d207b28\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Call Her Alex<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Things went downhill in April 2019, when Logan Paul planted some \u201crather poisonous seeds\u201d in Cooper and Franklyn\u2019s minds during a discussion about pay on his podcast, Portnoy said.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, Portnoy says, he offered each of them a massive deal to stay at Barstool: $500,000 in annual salary and 3.5% of all merchandising they sold; at the end of their stint with the company, all merch money and the \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d IP would revert to them, along with 10-20% of future sales for any alcohol brand started under the brand name.<\/p>\n<p>When Cooper met Portnoy on the rooftop of his building, he claims, she told him, \u2018I love the deal you proposed, and I want to take it. But Sofia is never going to take it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The \u201cBarstool Sports\u201d founder\u2019s book \u201cCancel Me If You Can\u201d is out now.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Okay,\u2019 I said. \u2018You guys realize I\u2019ll sue you if you take the podcast to another network before your contract is out, right?\u2019 Alex claimed to me that they had a plan to say they were both sexually harassed at Barstool,\u201d he alleged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was it. That was their game plan to get out of their contractual obligation to Barstool Sports in the event that I did not relinquish their IP to them and wish them well on their merry way as they jumped ship to a rival podcast network.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cooper then allegedly decided to cut out Franklyn and take the money herself. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want Sofia, even if she decides to take the deal,\u201d Portnoy recalls her asking him. \u201cCan I get the entire IP by myself if I honor the deal?\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Privately, Cooper also alleged that Franklyn had substance issues, Portnoy writes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Franklyn\u2019s book, \u201cDaddy Issues,\u201d will be out in November. <span class=\"credit\">Sofia Franklyn \/ Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Portnoy, already annoyed by what he considered the overbearing interference by Franklyn\u2019s then-boyfriend, former HBO exec Peter Nelson \u2014\u00a0whom he call \u201cthis Lord Farquaad-looking, factory-reject Ken doll\u201d and \u201cin my eyes quite possibly a human incarnation of Satan\u201d \u2014\u00a0agreed. (We have reached out to Nelson for comment.)<\/p>\n<p>But, ever the businessman, he offered Franklyn a rival podcast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew at that point the dirty little secret that nobody knew about \u2018CHD;\u2019 the girls hated each other,\u201d he writes, admitting he wanted them to launch two \u201cwarring podcasts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s squeeze every last drop out of this fracture for as long as possible. People will pick sides, we\u2019ll make merch about it,\u201d Portnoy adds. \u201cFor me, the worst thing that could happen was for these two girls to see eye to eye again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Portnoy even confesses to leaking the story of Cooper and Franklyn\u2019s bitter feud to <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2020\/05\/16\/call-her-daddy-podcast-hosts-have-turned-on-each-other-insider-says\/\">The Post <\/a>to stop them from ganging up against him.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Franklyn cut Cooper from the photo of her new book. <span class=\"credit\">Simon &amp; Schuster<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt worked perfectly, Alex and Sofia completely severed all communication,\u201d he said, \u201cThey each believed the other had leaked the story. The friendship, and the podcast, as we knew it, would never exist again. They hated each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A year later, Cooper signed a $60 million three-year stint with Spotify, then moved \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d to radio giant Sirius XM for a <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/08\/21\/celebrity-news\/call-her-daddy-host-alex-cooper-inks-siriusxm-125m-deal\/\">whopping $125 million multi-year contract.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>She founded her own media empire, Unwell, in 2023. The podcast network has grown to seven shows in addition to \u201cCall Her Daddy.\u201d Her Unwell Hydration, which sells sports drinks, can be found at Target, Meijer and Sprouts, and is an official partner of the National Women\u2019s Soccer League.\u00a0She\u2019s also produced a Hulu reality show, \u201cOverboard For Love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In her Hulu docu-series, \u201cCall Her Alex,\u201d Cooper admits that Portnoy \u201csaid, \u2018If you stay at Barstool for one more year, you can own \u2018Call Her Daddy.\u2019 Sofia didn\u2019t want to take the deal, but I did, so I stayed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cooper has said she has not spoken to Franklyn since their spit.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Cooper, seen at \u201cUnwell Las Vegas\u201d in October 2025, has gone on to make millions off her \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d brand. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for Unwell Expo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Franklyn, meanwhile, has not had the same level of success. She launched her own podcast, \u201cSofia With An F,\u201d and is engaged and planning a wedding in Italy this summer to a man whose name she has yet to reveal.<\/p>\n<p>She is set to release her own memoir, \u201cDaddy Issues,\u201d in November \u2014 and <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/02\/25\/celebrity-news\/sofia-franklyn-savagely-cuts-alex-cooper-from-cover-of-upcoming-tell-all-memoir\/\">savagely cut Cooper from a photo <\/a>on the cover.<\/p>\n<p>Portnoy is expecting the worst. He writes in his book: \u201cWomen are going to believe her just because she\u2019s a woman, because they feel bad for her or they don\u2019t like Alex or they hate my guts or whatever. That\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He has publicly stated he believes Franklyn helped orchestrate a <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2021\/11\/27\/advertisers-spooked-by-dave-portnoy-expose-but-execs-stay-calm\/\">2021 Business Insider expos\u00e9 <\/a>that contained sexual misconduct allegations against him.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Portnoy says has respect for Cooper because she always cites him for giving her her break. <span class=\"credit\">Alex Cooper\/Tiktok<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Cooper has interviewed stars including Victoria Beckham. <span class=\"credit\">Call Her Daddy\/YouTube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cYou can say whatever you want about me, but literally nobody has ever said I don\u2019t tell the truth 100% of the time. So to all the women who think Sofia is some feminist icon, just remember you are propping up a woman who I believe was willing to lie at the drop of a hat about sexual harassment, which sets all women back,\u201d he writes.<\/p>\n<p>Franklyn\u2019s book \u201ctackles her explosive exit from \u2018Call Her Daddy,\u2019 the severe emotional toll of her fallout with Alex Cooper, and her path to reinvention,\u201d according to a press release.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe decision [to write the book] was one I came to on my own,\u201d she told Rolling Stone in February. \u201cSix years ago, I was reeling from an experience I didn\u2019t understand. I needed to grow up and be free of ego as much as humanly possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to another insider who has worked within Cooper\u2019s orbit: \u201cAlex always maintains \u2018Call Her Daddy\u2019 was her idea and she did the work. She did edit it, and it always seemed like Alex was the engine and the driver, but Sofia maintained it was a lot of her ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Cooper is expecting her first baby with husband Matt Kaplan. <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/@alexandracooper<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Kaplan, who is Cooper\u2019s business partner, recently come under fire for allegedly creating a \u201ctoxic\u201d work environment. <span class=\"credit\">alexandracooper\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Legally, Franklyn has no rights to \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A cursory check of the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows that Barstool Sports, which owned the \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d trademark, officially signed over the brand to Cooper\u2019s production company, Bulldozer Productions, in November 2021. Cooper merged that company in March 2025 into TRNDG IP, LLC, for which she served as president and which remains the current owner of the brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether she has any legal way to fight Portnoy\u2019s accusations that she and Cooper planned to make fake sexual harassment claims against him, trademark lawyer Matthew Asbell of Lippes Mathias replied she would have to \u201csomehow prove that to be false and damaging. A public response may also give more life to the story and just help Portnoy sell more books.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cooper is <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/17\/parents\/alex-cooper-pregnant-expecting-first-baby-with-husband-matt-kaplan\/\">now expecting her first baby<\/a> with husband and business partner Matt Kaplan, who found himself at the center of a Vanity Fair expose last month, which alleged he had created \u201cthe most toxic work environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Franklyn is now engaged to her fianc\u00e9, whose name is not public. <span class=\"credit\">Sofia Franklyn\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Alix Earle (left) and Cooper fell out after Earle\u2019s podcast was axed from Cooper\u2019s \u2018Unwell\u2019 network. <span class=\"credit\">GC Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In April, Bloomberg News alleged that Kaplan \u201cfrequently\u201d yelled at staff members, citing people familiar with the company\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n<p>The Vanity Fair piece claimed sources also said that Kaplan used words like \u201cstupid\u201d or \u201cretarded\u201d to refer to employees and threatened to ruin their careers. One source claimed Cooper had witnessed her husband lose his temper and scream \u201cthe nastiest things\u201d at people but did not intervene to defend anyone involved.<\/p>\n<p>Some female staffers said that Kaplan asked about their sex lives and commented on their physical appearances. <\/p>\n<p>Cooper has also been embroiled in a feud with Alix Earle after Unwell dropped Earle\u2019s\u00a0\u201cHot Mess\u201d podcast\u00a0in February 2025. The women stayed largely silent on their reported beef until early April 2026, when Earle reposted a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/t\/ZP8gBUFLJ\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tiktok video<\/a> of another content creator calling Cooper \u201cso awful\u201d and comparing her to \u201can ambulance chaser\u201d for \u201cprofiting\u201d from women\u2019s vulnerable moments.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Dave Portnoy blames Franklyn\u2019s ex-boyfriend, HBO exec Peter Nelson, for forcing her to make huge demands. <span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cooper retaliated by telling Earle to <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/04\/13\/celebrity-news\/alex-cooper-breaks-silence-on-alix-earle-feud-rumors-long-overdue\/\">stop being \u201cpassive aggressive\u201d<\/a> and \u201cget specific and just say what you\u2019ve got to say about me. There\u2019s no NDA. No one is stopping you. Stop hiding behind other people and just say it yourself\u201d Earle replied: \u201cOn it!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, Earle <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/12\/entertainment\/craig-melvin-presses-alix-earle-about-alex-cooper-feud-in-cringe-tv-interview\/\">refused to discuss the fallout <\/a>on the \u201cToday\u201d show in May, saying \u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s keep the positive vibes going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, said the source in the know, \u201cThis mean girl thing is going to plague Alex Cooper forever.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dave Portnoy just won\u2019t let the \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d saga die. in his new memoir,\u00a0\u201cCancel Me If You Can,\u201d the outspoken multi-millionaire founder of Barstool Sports alleges that the podcast\u2019s Alex Cooper and her former co-host, Sofia Franklyn, plotted to falsely accuse him of sexual harassment to break their contracts with his company. Portnoy slams&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/newspress-collage-06qstwwgz-1783107791070.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1783093414&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}