Launched almost six years ago, the Call Her Daddy podcast started as something very different from the empowering platform it is today. Now, it regularly features high-profile guests like Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, and even former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Alex Cooper, 31, and Sofia Franklyn, 33, hosted a popular podcast where they gave very explicit dating advice to their mostly college-aged female audience. They were known for discussing topics like oral sex, which they playfully called the ‘Gluck Gluck 9000,’ despite no longer being friends.
As many listeners know, Call Her Daddy’s success wasn’t without drama. The podcast gained popularity after a public disagreement and accusations of betrayal from a former co-host.
Cooper turned the podcast into a hugely successful business, eventually securing a $125 million deal with SiriusXM for three years. Meanwhile, Franklyn’s career stalled after a disagreement during contract talks with their previous employer, Barstool Sports. Cooper claims Franklyn chose to leave the podcast, but Franklyn alleges she was caught off guard during negotiations.
That is, until now.
Franklyn’s memoir, titled Daddy Issues, will be released in November, and in it, she’ll finally tell her story about the very public falling out with her father.
Fans of the original Call Her Daddy podcast will likely be happy to hear about the book, especially those who had to pick a side when Cooper and Franklyn had their falling out in 2020.
Cooper hasn’t commented on the book, but it appears the popular podcaster fears Franklyn’s memoir could damage the media company she’s spent the last six years creating.
A source revealed to the Daily Mail that Cooper feels deeply hurt by her former friend, believing her memoir is motivated by a desire for revenge and attention from Franklyn.
According to someone who knows Cooper, Alex is upset that Sofia wrote a memoir seemingly exploiting their past friendship for fame and financial gain.
She doesn’t dwell on it, but she understands what’s involved and the negativity surrounding it.
Franklyn shared on Instagram on February 25th that her first memoir is coming out soon. She also showed off the book cover, which is a playful, old photo of her with Cooper – but Cooper’s face has been completely removed.
As a lifestyle expert, I’m always looking for stories that really resonate, and this book, published by Simon & Schuster, definitely delivers. It’s a powerful read about navigating relationships, taking back control of your life, and ultimately, overcoming your own inner struggles. It’s a truly captivating journey of self-discovery and resilience.
According to someone who knows Cooper, Franklyn’s memoir was deeply hurtful to her. Cooper had always wished the best for her former roommate, even after their friendship ended.
Alex has put in a lot of effort to achieve her current success and isn’t going to let an old friend derail her now. She’s prepared to handle the situation and minimize any negative impact when it becomes public.
The very public disagreement between Cooper and Franklyn has become a well-known story among fans of the Call Her Daddy podcast – almost like an urban legend.
In 2018, the creators of Call Her Daddy recorded their first episode, ‘Sext Me So I Know It’s Real,’ in their New York City apartment.
The podcast, known for its candid conversations between women, quickly gained the notice of Dave Portnoy, head of Barstool Sports. He offered creators Cooper and Franklyn a three-year deal worth a reported $70,000 per year.
But their newfound success as a duo would be short lived.
In 2020, the podcast’s success led both hosts to seek new contracts worth around $1 million each, as they felt their current agreements no longer reflected their contributions to its growth.
However, according to Portnoy – who previously criticized Cooper and Franklyn, calling them ‘greedy’ – Barstool Sports was only able to propose a new contract worth $500,000 annually, plus potential bonuses.
He said Cooper eventually agreed, but Franklyn continued to ask for more money. Because of this, Cooper decided to make a deal with Portnoy on her own, without Franklyn, and released her first independent episode in May.
In the June 2025 two-part documentary, Call Her Alex, she shared her perspective on why they broke up.
In the docuseries, Cooper explained that she and Sofia were generating millions for the company and felt they earned a raise. However, their three-year contract with Barstool Sports meant the company owned their work.
Sofia and I worked together to renegotiate our contracts with Dave. He offered us an incredible deal: if we both stayed at Barstool for another year, I would be able to own Call Her Daddy. While Sofia wasn’t interested, I decided to accept the offer and remain with the company.
Franklyn appeared shocked and hurt. She shared on Instagram that she felt betrayed by Cooper, explaining he had acted secretly without her knowledge.
As a longtime follower, it was really jarring to hear Franklyn explain how everything we’d all been building towards for months – even a year – suddenly changed. Apparently, Cooper felt we should just stick with the company and follow Portnoy’s lead, which was a total shift from what we expected. He shared this with Rolling Stone back in 2023, and it felt like a real turning point.
I later discovered that Cooper and Portnoy had a close relationship I didn’t know about and wasn’t included in. I believed Cooper and I were incredibly close, like siblings, and completely honest with each other. I would never approach our boss without her knowledge – that would be completely out of line – and I didn’t think she’d do that to me either.
Cooper stated she had been doing the majority of the podcast’s work for quite some time. She also accused Peter Nelson, who was Franklyn’s boyfriend and an executive at HBO Sports, of being controlling and using Call Her Daddy to benefit himself.
Rolling Stone reported that Cooper and Portnoy stated Nelson was trying to get a better financial agreement with the podcast company Wondery.
Franklyn stated her former boyfriend wasn’t heavily involved in the podcast arrangement and denied reports suggesting he played a significant role in her agreement with Wondery.
Six years ago, Franklyn was surprised and upset by Cooper’s actions. Now, according to a source, Cooper feels betrayed by Franklyn after learning about her plans to release a memoir, especially considering they used to work and live together.
‘She feels betrayed,’ the source told the Daily Mail.
Alex and her team were surprised to learn Sofia was releasing this information, particularly after so many years. Alex has significantly expanded her business since Sofia moved on.
After her contract with Barstool ended in 2021, Cooper signed a three-year agreement with Spotify valued at around $60 million. Then, in August 2024, she secured another three-year deal with SiriusXM, reportedly worth $125 million.
In 2023, she started Trending, a media company aimed at Gen Z, which became the new parent company for Call Her Daddy. She also created the Unwell Network, a production company that partnered with popular online creators to host podcasts.
According to the source, Cooper isn’t concerned that Franklyn’s memoir will threaten the successful media company she created with Call Her Daddy.
She’s worried her devoted fans, known as the ‘Daddy Gang,’ might stop supporting her after they read Franklyn’s book.
You know, from what I’m hearing, Alex isn’t losing sleep over Sofia revealing anything damaging from the past. Sofia simply wasn’t there for those years, so she doesn’t really know what happened. What is on Alex’s mind is how this memoir will change the way people see her – she’s much more focused on public perception than any hidden secrets.
Cooper is known for being very open and honest, so she doesn’t keep secrets. However, some past details of her life could cause problems for her career, according to sources.
Alex deeply cherishes her connection with her fans, ‘The Daddy Gang,’ and would be devastated to lose them. Despite the potential damage from Sofia’s upcoming memoir, she’s staying positive and hopes her years of work won’t be ruined.
Cooper isn’t alone in his worries about Franklyn’s new memoir; other podcasters share his concerns.
Even after stepping down from the Call Her Daddy podcast in 2021, 48-year-old Dave Portnoy has kept criticizing both Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn on social media.
On March 7th, he posted a video to Instagram ridiculing Franklyn, asserting that the memoir was fabricated and contained falsehoods.
I’m really excited because Dave Portnoy used this moment to talk about his upcoming book, ‘Cancel Me If You Can’! It’s his life story, and Simon and Schuster is publishing it in June. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy – I can’t wait to read it!
After the drama surrounding Call Her Daddy became public, Cooper moved to Los Angeles in 2021. She then married film producer Matt Kaplan in April 2024.
Franklyn left her apartment in New York City, where she had been living with Cooper, and went to stay with family in Utah. She also stepped away from public appearances for a while.
In October 2020, she started a podcast called Sofia with an F, which focuses on sex and relationships. She created the podcast through her own company, Sloot Media.
She came back to Manhattan and revealed she was engaged to her boyfriend, who she met last September, but hasn’t shared his name publicly.
The ‘Sofia with an F’ podcast has featured notable guests like Billy McFarland, who organized the disastrous Fyre Festival, and Amanda Knox, who was wrongly accused of a crime. However, it hasn’t achieved the same widespread popularity as ‘Call Her Daddy,’ which has thrived under Alex Cooper’s leadership.
The source claims that the Call Her Daddy host thinks Franklyn’s memoir might just be a way to gain attention by associating it with Cooper’s huge popularity.
According to a source, she believes Sofia is trying to benefit from her success, but she doesn’t think Sofia will ever be as famous as she is.
Sofia chose to leave the Call Her Daddy podcast herself, and many believe it was a poor decision.
She seems focused on getting revenge now, and isn’t concerned with the consequences for others as she tries to regain the popularity she once had when the podcast first started.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Cooper and Franklyn for comment.
Read More
- Seeing in the Dark: Event Cameras Guide Robots Through Low-Light Spaces
- Gold Rate Forecast
- American Idol vet Caleb Flynn in solitary confinement after being charged for allegedly murdering wife
- Hatch Dragons Beginners Guide and Tips
- eFootball 2026 is bringing the v5.3.1 update: What to expect and what’s coming
- eFootball 2026 Epic Italian Midfielders (Platini, Donadoni, Albertini) pack review
- HEAVENHELLS: Anime Squad RPG WiTCH Tier List
- Ethereum’s Wild Ride: From $1,750 to $2,200 – A Comedic Tale of Liquidity and Losses!
- Disgraced ex-radio star Marty Sheargold doubles down on his sexist Matildas outburst as he is grilled on ACA in first television interview since sacking… as Allison Langdon says she was ‘offended’ by his behaviour
- Honor of Kings Yango Build Guide: Best Arcana, Spells, and Gameplay Tips
2026-03-21 22:51