Alex Cooper finally addressed the Dave Portnoy allegation, and her reason for waiting was simple. “Dave’s got his version, and I’ve got my version.” That’s all she’s saying.
A memoir published in June put a claim about her on the record, and she did not respond to it publicly. A business interview finally brought the question to her directly. She answered without confirming or denying what was alleged.
Alex Cooper says she will not share her version of the Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports dispute
CNBC put the question to Alex Cooper on August 12, and she addressed the recent allegation from Dave Portnoy for the first time, according to Just Jared.
A Wall Street Journal profile carried that allegation in June 2026. According to him, she and Sofia Franklyn had schemed to claim sexual harassment at Barstool Sports as a route out of their contract. “Cooper, he claims, told him she and Franklyn had a plan to say they were sexually harassed at Barstool to get out of their contract,” the report claims.
His company launched her career. “Call Her Daddy” ran there with Sofia alongside her between 2018 and 2020, and Sofia’s exit left her running it by herself for a further year under Barstool. Departure from the company followed, and Spotify became the podcast’s new home.
When asked why she hasn’t responded yet, Alex said, “I’m pregnant. I’m busy building a child”.
Alex spoke about Dave directly. “Whenever I see Dave online, we all enjoy his banter. He is a very entertaining person, and I have a very great and complicated relationship with Dave,” Alex began. “He gave me my start in this industry, and I will never not be grateful to him.”
She did not confirm or deny the allegation. “I haven’t read the book, but I remember seeing, obviously, getting tagged in those things, and that’s not how I remember that at all. But I also am like, Dave’s got his version, and I’ve got my version, and we’re all good.”
Would she share her own “version” of events? “No. I’m in my mother era. I’m no drama right now. We’re here to talk business,” she said.
Andrew Ross Sorkin handled the interview for the network. Its post identifies her as the “Call Her Daddy” host and a co-founder of Unwell Media, while Dave appears there as her one time boss at Barstool.
DID SHE HANDLE THAT WELL, OR DOES THE QUESTION STILL NEED AN ANSWER?
