He Denies the Claim: Dave Portnoy Responds to Sofia Franklyn’s Suggestion He Slept With Alex Cooper

Portnoy rejects the suggestion

On the Wednesday, November 11, episode of Tea by The Toast, Dave Portnoy addressed speculation raised in Sofia Franklyn’s memoir, Daddy Issues. The book was released Tuesday, November 10.

Portnoy denied that he and Alex Cooper had been intimate. He said Franklyn knew the suggestion was false. Asked whether he and Cooper had ever kissed or made out, he replied, “We didn’t even like each other.” He also disputed the idea that Cooper had been to his apartment before the meeting described in the book, saying neither woman had visited earlier.

What Franklyn recalls

Franklyn writes that she and Cooper went to Portnoy’s apartment during their 2020 contract negotiations with Barstool Sports. She says Cooper seemed unusually quiet, which led her to wonder if they had met there before.

Franklyn describes thinking, “Jesus Christ, did they f–k or something?” She also says Portnoy made a comment suggesting Cooper already knew the building’s rooftop. Her memoir presents this as a suspicion, not a confirmed sexual encounter. The article notes that Franklyn did not claim to have witnessed one.

The Call Her Daddy split

Franklyn and Cooper launched Call Her Daddy together in 2018 under Portnoy’s Barstool Sports company. Their friendship and working partnership broke down in 2020 amid disagreements over contract negotiations.

According to Franklyn’s account, Portnoy offered each woman $500,000 to stay with Barstool for another year, with a chance to secure ownership of the podcast’s intellectual property. Franklyn wanted an independent deal; Cooper chose to remain with Barstool.

The two separated, and Cooper continued the show alone. Call Her Daddy moved to Spotify in 2021, and Cooper later signed a deal with SiriusXM in 2024.

Their projects since the breakup

Franklyn now hosts Sofia with an F and revisits the split in Daddy Issues. The book has also drawn attention for her suggestion that Cooper may have leaked a private photo involving Franklyn’s former boyfriend Noah Syndergaard.

Cooper discussed her account of the breakup in the Hulu documentary Call Her Alex. She said she accepted Barstool’s offer when Franklyn wanted to leave.