Why Alix Earle is telling Alex Cooper You Don’t Own Me

She’s owning it.

Over the weekend, mega-influencer Alix Earle, 25, posted an Instagram Reel of herself pole dancing to Saygrace’s “You Don’t Own Me.”

It appeared to be directed at her former friend and ex-boss — “Call Her Daddy” podcast mogul Alex Cooper, 31. The two blondes have been embroiled in an ongoing public, petty duel playing out on social media.

Indeed, Cooper doesn’t own Earle. Sources say that in an unusual, “interesting” move, Cooper’s Unwell company returned the IP for Earle’s “Hot Mess” podcast to her when they parted ways in February 2025.

In August 2023, Earle was one of the first stars to sign with Cooper’s the Unwell Network. At that point, a source said that Cooper was like a “big sister” to her. The two even shared a publicist from 2023 to 2025.

In September 2023, Earle launched “Hot Mess.” It was an initially a big success, climbing to the top of the Spotify charts to beat out Joe Rogan and Cooper herself for a time in the fall of 2023.

Earle gave listeners, particularly college-aged women, relatable tea about her then-tumored relationship with NFL star Braxton Barrios. She also covered topics like Greek life on campus and heavier things like her personal eating disorder. Online college magazine HerCampus raved the podcast was “refreshing” and “relatable,” in a review of the first three episodes.

But behind the scenes, sources say there was strife.

A source told Page Six that Cooper grew “jealous” of Earle, especially after she starred in a racy Carl’s Jr. Super Bowl ad. The two reportedly clashed as Earle’s star rose.

“They didn’t see eye to eye,” the source said. “[Earle] outgrew the ‘Hot Mess’ podcast.

(Page Six has reached out to Earle and Cooper for comment.)

An insider told Page Six another story, saying that despite its initial success — and Earle’s 5.6 million followers on Instagram and 8.5 million followers on TikTok — “Hot Mess” didn’t work in the longer term. (Sirius XM, which broadcast and sold ads for the podcast, did not reveal ratings information.)

“Alix Earle’s fan base did not translate into a viable listenership for her podcast,” the insider said. “That is why Unwell had to make the difficult business decision [to drop it].”

But the other source said it wasn’t just a business decision. It was personal.

“After working together, [they] don’t really care for each other that much,” the source said, noting that Cooper has a reputation for being a “mean girl.”

This recent round of beef between Earle and Cooper  started last week when Earle reposted a TikTok video by @TheBravoMom, Ashley Tiscareno, criticizing Cooper’s business ethics and labeling her an “ambulance chaser” for booking interviews with subjects going through hard times. 

Earle clapped back at  Cooper’s video with the seemingly sarcastic: “Okay on it!!” and has yet to publicly respond otherwise. 

On Tuesday, Barstool Sports creator Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia jumped into the fray. She told her followers on Instagram she doesn’t like Cooper because the “Call Her Daddy” host allegedly once told Barstool boss Dave Portnoy she didn’t “give a f–k” about LaPaglia and her former “PlanBri Uncut” podcast co-host, Grace O’Malley.

LaPaglia came to Earle’s defense saying: “From what Alix Earle told me, Alex Cooper is a very, very mean person.”

Cooper responded on Instagram Stories, saying “I have never met you in my life … And you hate me?”

In 2020, Cooper acquired the “Call Her Daddy” IP from Dave Portnoy’s barstool sports after a public split from her ex-cohost and biz partner Sofia Franklyn.

Franklyn, in 2020, accused Cooper of stabbing her in the back while they were renegotiating their contract with Barstool Sports.

“I found out that Alex had gone behind my back and done something. And I found out it wasn’t the first time. And that’s why we’re here. I trusted Alex. I feel betrayed,” Franklyn said in a video at the time.

Meanwhile, Earle who recently launched her Reale Actives skincare line, has previously said she’d bring back her podcast on her own terms.

“We have plans to bring things back, elevate things,” she told the Wall Street Journal last May. “It might look a little different, but I’m excited to see what we do with it.”