In 2018, two roommates in a messy New York City apartment started talking into microphones about the "gluck gluck 9000" and toxic exes. It was raw. It was hilarious. And it made them richer than they ever imagined. Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn weren't just podcasters; they were the architects of a brand-new type of female-led media empire. But then, as we all know, the "divorce" happened. One stayed, one left, and a multi-million dollar friendship turned into a cautionary tale about business, ego, and who actually owns the rights to your voice.
The Rooftop Deal That Changed Everything
Most people think the split was just about money. It wasn't. It was about a specific meeting on a rooftop with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. At that point, the girls were essentially on strike. They weren't releasing episodes, and the "Daddy Gang" was losing its mind. Portnoy offered them the "Holy Grail": 100% of the Intellectual Property (IP) for Call Her Daddy if they just stayed for one more year.
Alex wanted to sign. She saw the long game. Sofia, influenced heavily by her then-boyfriend Peter Nelson (affectionately known by fans as "Suitman"), wanted to shop the show elsewhere. She thought they were worth more than what Barstool was offering. Honestly, they probably were, but the IP was the leverage. When Sofia wouldn't budge, Alex went behind her back and took the deal herself.
"I realized the Daddy Gang was bigger than both of us," Alex said years later in her 2025 Hulu docuseries, Call Her Alex. It’s a cold way to look at a friendship, but it’s the reason she’s now sitting on a $125 million SiriusXM contract while Sofia had to start from scratch.
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The Aftermath: Two Very Different Paths
Since the split in 2020, the trajectory of these two women has been wild to watch. Alex Cooper basically became the Howard Stern of Gen Z. She’s interviewing Vice President Kamala Harris, sitting front row at the 2026 Golden Globes (where she was nominated for Best Podcast), and running the Unwell Network. She even launched Unwell Hydration, a beverage line, because apparently, $125 million isn't enough to buy a break.
Sofia, on the other hand, took the harder road. She was silent for a long time, which was probably her biggest mistake. In the world of the internet, if you don't tell your story, someone else will tell it for you. She eventually launched Sofia with an F, and while she has a loyal following, she never regained that "stratospheric" momentum she had with Alex.
- Alex Cooper: Signed $60M Spotify deal, then a $125M SiriusXM deal.
- Sofia Franklyn: Founded Sloot Media; hosts Sofia with an F.
- The Relationship: They don't talk. Like, at all. Alex recently said there's "no bad blood," but she won't go on Sofia's show.
Why the Beef Still Matters in 2026
You've probably seen the headlines about Sofia getting engaged recently. People were quick to notice Alex posting about her own "big rocks" and success at the same time. Whether it’s intentional shade or just the algorithm being messy, the fans—the Daddy Gang—still can’t let it go.
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There's a lot of debate over who was "right." Was Alex a "backstabber" who traded her best friend for a check? Or was Sofia "delusional" for letting her boyfriend ruin a good thing? The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. Sofia admitted on Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast that she wishes she had processed the trauma more before diving back into work. She felt "villainized" while Alex was celebrated for her business savvy.
The Business of Being "Unwell"
Alex's brand is now a massive machine. She’s not just talking about sex anymore; she’s talking about reproductive rights and mental health. Her move to SiriusXM in late 2024 was a turning point. It proved that Call Her Daddy wasn't a fluke.
But there’s a cost. In her documentary, Alex admitted the relationship with Sofia was actually "awful" toward the end, despite the "sisterhood" they projected online. It’s a reminder that what we see on Instagram or hear in our AirPods is often a carefully curated performance.
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- Trust your gut, but check the contract. Alex’s obsession with the IP is why she’s a mogul today.
- Keep partners and partners separate. Mixing a romantic relationship (Suitman) with a business negotiation is almost always a disaster.
- Silence isn't always golden. Sofia's choice to stay quiet allowed Barstool and Alex to control the narrative for months.
Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn are the ultimate case study in "creator breakup." They proved that a podcast can be worth nine figures, but they also showed that fame and money can dismantle even the closest bonds. If you're looking to build your own brand or just following the drama, remember that the "Daddy Gang" was built on transparency—even if that transparency eventually exposed the cracks in the foundation.
Actionable Insights:
If you're an aspiring creator or entrepreneur, take a page from the Cooper/Franklyn playbook: prioritize ownership of your IP above all else. Before entering any partnership, have a clear "breakup" clause in your contract so you aren't left in the dark if things go south. Finally, if you're ever in a public dispute, remember that the first person to speak usually sets the tone for the entire conversation.