What was once celebrated as a powerhouse pairing between Alex Cooper and Alix Earle, two of the biggest names in podcasting and social media, has since unraveled into a very public feud.
On Monday, Call Her Daddy host Cooper, 31, directly called out 25-year-old Earle over her “passive-aggressive reposts” online. “Just say what you gotta say about me,” Cooper said in a TikTok. “There’s no NDA. No one is stopping you. Stop hiding behind other people and just say it yourself. What’s the beef?”
The rift was destined to come to a head after Earle abruptly exited Unwell, Cooper’s media network, after only two years in February 2025. Earle didn’t divulge details about what prompted her departure, but hinted at there being friction in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “That was, behind the scenes, a little bit of a hot mess,” Earle said last May.
Over the past year, both Cooper and Earle have continued to dance around what exactly led to their fallout, though they’ve been accused of stoking the flames of a feud online. As Cooper pushes for Earle to finally say her piece or leave her alone, here is a breakdown of what’s happened between the two stars:
When Did Alex Cooper and Alix Earle Start Working Together?
Both Earle and Cooper are wildly popular creators. Cooper got her start with Call Her Daddy, a raunchy dating and lifestyle podcast under the Barstool Sports umbrella. Cooper co-hosted the podcast with her roommate and best friend, Sofia Franklyn, but the two had a falling out in 2020 when they tried to shop the show to outside bidders. In the end, Cooper ended up with the rights to Call Her Daddy and inked a massive $60 million deal with Spotify in 2021.
Meanwhile, Earle’s career began on TikTok, where her videos frequently went viral, and she gained millions of followers while attending the University of Miami.
In August 2023, Earle became one of the first major creators to sign with Unwell and launched her podcast Hot Mess under its umbrella. “Alix took the U.S. by storm with her ‘get ready with me’ videos, college lifestyle, and endearing personality,” Cooper said in a press release at the time. “I feel honored to be at a place in my career where I can pass along knowledge and advice for a new generation of creators to flourish.”
Why Did Alix Earle Leave Unwell?
Earle suddenly departed Unwell in February 2025. Neither side gave a reason, although Variety reported it was Cooper who dropped the younger influencer from the network. A source told Us Weekly that Earle’s dad became involved in Earle’s “business decisions and did not like what Unwell was doing.” (Neither Cooper nor Earle immediately responded to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.)
Although Unwell relinquished the rights to Earle’s podcast, Earle announced in March 2025 that Hot Mess was taking a break. “I don’t really want to get into the details of it all, and I kind of can’t right now,” Earle said on TikTok. “But I’ve loved it so, so much, and I’m really proud of what I built with the podcast.”
As news of the hiatus began circulating, Cooper disputed that she had anything to do with Earle’s decision. “Alix not being able to podcast has nothing to do with Unwell,” Cooper explained on Instagram. “IDK why she can’t/what’s going on. Unwell gave her everything back. She owns her IP.”
What’s Happened Since Then?
After a brief pause of Hot Mess, Earle announced in June 2025 that the show would transition away from a traditional, sit-down podcast format and be more of a video-forward, “vlogcast.” Episodes now take fans behind the scenes of Earle’s life, with footage of her partying at the Super Bowl, getting ready for Coachella, and living her daily life.
After leaving Unwell, Earle had a massive year, appearing on Dancing with the Stars, growing her following to more than 13 million users across TikTok and Instagram, and in March 2026, launching her own skincare line, Reale Actives.
Cooper similarly thrived, scoring guests like Michelle Obama, Hilary Duff, and Zayn Malik on Call Her Daddy. She most recently hosted the 20th anniversary Hannah Montana special with Miley Cyrus.
Still, Cooper and Earle have been called out online for allegedly being passive-aggressive with subtle likes and reposts about one another. Fans accused Cooper of being shady towards Earle in October when Cooper used the Britney Spears song “Circus” in an Instagram photo dump recapping an Unwell Vegas event, with the caption, “How much time do you have? Cause we could go all night.”
Earle had recently performed to “Circus” on Dancing with the Stars, and used similar language in August when a social media user asked Earle to discuss her rift with Cooper. “How much time do you have,” Earle responded.
What Prompted Alex Cooper’s Most Recent Video?
Last week, Earle reposted a TikTok in which a creator compared Cooper to an “ambulance chaser,” accusing the Unwell founder of exploiting the women she invites onto her podcast. “She is profiting off of women’s heartaches and failures,” the user said. “That’s not girl power.”
On Monday, Cooper said she was sick of the drama. “I’m obviously seeing the videos, I’m getting tagged,” Cooper said. “I see the DMs, I see the comments. So at this point, it just feels long overdue.”
“I know what happened, and so do you, so talk,” Cooper added. “Unless the fake narrative you’re creating happens to be more interesting than the truth,” she added. “I have nothing to hide when it comes to you and me. Unless you actually have something to say, I’m out. This is over.”