Dave Portnoy Drops Bombshell Allegation Against Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn Ahead of New Book Release

The long running dispute between Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and former Call Her Daddy hosts Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn has returned to the spotlight. Ahead of the release of his new book, Cancel Me If You Can, Portnoy has made a fresh allegation about the podcast duo's contract battle, bringing one of the biggest media controversies back into public discussion.

Dave Portnoy revives old Call Her Daddy dispute with new claims from his upcoming book

In a profile published by The Wall Street Journal, Portnoy claimed that Alex Cooper later told him she and Sofia Franklyn had discussed making sexual harassment allegations against Barstool Sports as a way to leave their contract. The claim has drawn significant attention because it revisits one of the most talked about podcast business disputes in recent years.

“Cooper, he claims, told him she and Franklyn had a plan to say they were sexually harassed at Barstool to get out of their contract,” Joshua Chaffin wrote.

Neither Cooper nor Franklyn had publicly responded to the allegation at the time of writing.

The conflict dates back to 2020 when Call Her Daddy became one of the fastest growing podcasts in the United States. After disagreements over contract terms, the hosts stopped producing new episodes while seeking a better deal. Portnoy later offered a revised agreement, but negotiations fell apart. Cooper eventually remained with the show while Franklyn exited to launch her own podcast, Sofia with an F. Cooper later signed major podcast deals with Spotify and SiriusXM, making her one of the biggest names in the industry.

Dave Portnoy and Big Cat reflect on the turning point that changed everything

At the same time, Portnoy has also been revisiting another defining chapter from his career. In excerpts from Cancel Me If You Can and during a recent Pardon My Take discussion, Portnoy and Dan "Big Cat" Katz looked back on the events that tested their relationship and ultimately brought them closer together.

According to Portnoy, the setback unexpectedly strengthened the company during a period of internal tension. Big Cat admitted that Pardon My Take had grown much faster than anyone expected, creating pressure within the organization.

"We never planned for this show to grow so much faster, so quickly, versus everything else," Katz said. "And that's where the weird tension came in, because it happened so fast. It was like we blinked and … 'Oh f*ck, this thing is massive right now.'"

He also explained why his connection to the company became even stronger after that experience.

"When someone says something bad about Barstool, I can't just be like, 'Oh, that's OK,'" Katz added. "Like, no, no, that's my whole life. Some day, many, many years from now, this is all I'll be known for. So it's like, there's nothing else I have."

As Portnoy prepares for the release of Cancel Me If You Can, both the revived Call Her Daddy controversy and the reflections on one of the company's most difficult periods have brought renewed attention to the moments that shaped his career and the people around him.