Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, has alleged in his memoir, "Cancel Me If You Can," that podcast hosts Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn considered using false sexual harassment claims to terminate their contracts with the company. Portnoy claims this alleged plan emerged after the two women met with YouTube personality Logan Paul in April 2019.
According to Portnoy's account, Cooper and Franklyn, who co-hosted the "Call Her Daddy" podcast under Barstool Sports from 2018 to 2021, began expressing dissatisfaction with their contracts and pay following their meeting with Paul. "There was no indication that Alex and Sofia were unhappy with their situation, until they met Logan Paul," Portnoy wrote, per the Daily Mail.
Portnoy stated that the hosts' dissatisfaction intensified in late 2019, leading them to stop coming into the office. Their lawyer subsequently presented Barstool Sports with a list of demands, including an annual salary of $1 million each, the right to sell their own advertisements, ownership of the "Call Her Daddy" intellectual property, and 90% of their merchandise sales. Additionally, they reportedly no longer wished to be considered employees of Barstool Sports.
To force these demands, Portnoy alleged that Cooper and Franklyn ceased producing new podcast episodes. Portnoy claimed he made what he described as "the most generous offer in Barstool history" to retain them, an offer that would have made them both millionaires. However, Portnoy recounted that Cooper later informed him she wanted to accept the deal, but Franklyn did not.
It was during this period, Portnoy alleged, that Cooper told him they had a plan to claim they were both sexually harassed at Barstool if their demands, particularly regarding intellectual property, were not met. "That was it. That was their game plan to get out of their contractual obligation to Barstool Sports in the event that I did not relinquish their IP to them and wish them well on their merry way as they jumped ship to a rival podcast network," Portnoy wrote.
Portnoy asserted that while Barstool Sports had faced criticism for jokes, it had never been accused of inappropriate workplace conduct. He expressed concern that even a false accusation of sexual harassment could have been difficult for the company to combat in the court of public opinion.
Sofia Franklyn departed the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in 2020, citing failed contract negotiations. She has since launched her own podcast, "Sofia with an F," and is reportedly planning to address the situation in her own forthcoming memoir.
Alex Cooper subsequently signed a $60 million deal with Spotify in 2021 for exclusive distribution of "Call Her Daddy." In 2024, she entered into a new deal with Sirius XM valued at over $100 million, which replaced Spotify as her distribution and advertising partner.
Page Six has reached out to representatives for Paul, Cooper, and Franklyn for comment.