Alex Cooper Addresses Allegations of Faking Sexual Harassment Claims in Exit from Barstool Sports

In a candid interview, the "Call Her Daddy" podcast host, Alex Cooper, found herself on the other side of the hot seat as she was questioned about Dave Portnoy's explosive claims that she and her co-host planned to leave Barstool Sports using fake sexual harassment allegations. When asked about the veracity of the allegation during a CNBC interview, Cooper began by acknowledging Portnoy's entertaining personality and expressing gratitude for his role in launching her career.

"Dave has been a source of entertainment for us all, and I have a complex relationship with him," she said. "He gave me my start in this industry, and I will always be grateful." Despite not having read Portnoy's memoir, "Cancel Me If You Can", Cooper admitted to recalling being tagged in online posts related to the allegations. However, she insisted that her remembrance of events differed from those described in the book.

"That's not how I remember that at all," she asserted, adding, "But I also understand that Dave has his version, and I have mine, and we're good." When prompted to share her perspective on the matter, Cooper, who is expecting a baby, expressed a desire for minimal drama. "No. I'm in my mother era. I'm no drama right now. We're here to talk business," she responded.

Previously reported by Page Six, Portnoy asserted in his memoir that Cooper and her co-host, Sofia Franklyn, had a plan to fabricate sexual harassment claims as a means of breaking their contract with Barstool Sports. According to Portnoy, he had offered an unprecedentedly generous deal to both Cooper and Franklyn that would have made them instant millionaires, but later received a call from Cooper requesting a one-on-one meeting without Franklyn present.

Portnoy alleged that during this meeting, Cooper informed him of her intention to accept the proposed deal, but expressed doubt that Franklyn would do the same. He further claimed that Cooper suggested they could use sexual harassment claims as leverage in case he refused to release their intellectual property and allow them to join a rival podcast network. Portnoy stated in his book that although Barstool had been criticized for making sexist jokes, it had never been accused of inappropriate workplace conduct.

He expressed concern that if the women had decided to level such accusations, "it would have been a tough fight for us to win in the court of public opinion. Nobody would have believed my side of the story." Franklyn left the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in 2020, citing failed contract negotiations as the reason. She subsequently launched her own podcast, "Sofia with an F." In her forthcoming memoir, "Daddy Issues", Franklyn is expected to address her fallout with Cooper.

Cooper left Barstool Sports in June 2021, securing a multi-year distribution deal with Spotify worth $60 million and retaining the rights to the "Call Her Daddy" IP. In August 2024, she switched from Spotify to SiriusXM in a reported $125 million deal.