A rumored professional split between two popular online personalities has fans speculating about whether a personal feud is to blame.
“Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper’s company Unwell Network reportedly dropped popular lifestyle influencer Alix Earle’s podcast “Hot Mess” from its line-up, according to Variety. The outlet, which cited unnamed sources in its report, also said SiriusXM will also no longer sell ads for the show.
SiriusXM and the Unwell Network, as well as a representative for Earle and Cooper, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Cooper, whose podcast is among the most listened to shows globally on Spotify, has continued to build her brand with Unwell Network, a subsidiary of the media company Trending, which she founded with her now-husband Matt Kaplan. Her millions of listeners, nicknamed the “Daddy Gang,” consider her the go-to voice on relationships, dating and life in your 20s and 30s.
Earle exploded in popularity in 2023 while a student at the University of Miami and making viral “get ready with me” videos. She now has 7.3 million followers on TikTok and 4 million on Instagram.
Last year, she became one of the first influencers signed by Cooper for her Unwell Network, which has been marketed as a media and production company catered to Gen Z audiences.
At first, the partnership appeared to be a fruitful one — Earle was among the many social media stars who celebrated the launch of the Unwell Network with a massive multi-day event at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin in March 2024. Videos of the two partying together were all over social media, with fans lining up for hours to get into the events held at the “Unwell House.”
But by February, many fans online had noticed a shift. Earle was notably absent from an Unwell Super Bowl party in New Orleans, despite being in town at the time. Instead, Earle posted vlogs of herself exploring the city with her friends and boyfriend the night of the event.
It was enough to further fuel speculation in Reddit threads dedicated to “influencer snark,” or drama. Onlookers pointed out that Earle had also not been spotted at other Unwell events in recent months. The network also appeared to be promoting Earle’s podcast less frequently, fans said, despite having once frequently marketed “Hot Mess” across all its social media platforms.
This is also not the first time Cooper has been scrutinized over a business relationship.
The 30-year-old created “Call Her Daddy” with former co-host Sofia Franklyn. The two shot to viral fame in 2018, when the podcast was still under Barstool Sports. It became known for candid conversations about commonly taboo topics.
But the duo professionally split up in 2020. Cooper went on to host the podcast solo, and Franklyn launched her own podcast titled “Sofia with an F.”
Cooper has since interviewed a slew of celebrities and influencers, including Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton and Zayn, Madison Beer and John Legend. Last year, she signed a new multiyear deal with SiriusXM, dropping Spotify as the show’s exclusive distributor. Terms of SiriusXM’s deal were not disclosed. However, numerous reports have suggested it was valued at more than $100 million.
Unwell Network’s talent signings include influencer Madeline Argy, reality star Harry Jowsey and actor Owen Thiele.
In the immediate aftermath of their rumored business split Tuesday, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy posted on social media a screenshot of what appears to be a 22-minute call log with Earle, captioning it: “You can stop tagging me. I know what needs to be done”
The cryptic post soon stirred speculation that Barstool would pick up Earle’s “Hot Mess” podcast — rumors that Portnoy quickly shut down, writing in a comment: “Update — I didn’t call her. I just thought it was funny.”
His post was a near-exact replica of one of Cooper’s posts from December, which she shared just before comedian Grace O’Malley left Barstool Sports for Unwell Network.
Earle has not publicly addressed any news about her podcast’s alleged break with its host network. But in a social media post on Wednesday, she announced a new business venture: She’s investing in a new alcohol company in March.
“I guess the other part of this is it could completely fail,” Earle said in an Instagram video. “No, but what I’m trying to say is, like, it’s scary. I’m scared. I don’t know, you know, it’s a lot that goes into it, and having something start up is scary, but I believe in it and I believe in the team and the product.”
