Alex vs. Alix: The Girls Are Fighting (Alledgedy)
Two millionaires firing subtle shots in the comments, one goes for the kill
This weekâs prime-time social media fight is Alex Cooper vs. Alix Earle. In this corner sponsored by Unwell, we have Alex Cooper, the founder of the Unwell Network and host of Call Her Daddy. With 3.1 million followers on TikTok and more than 2 million on YouTube, Cooper has made a name for herself by talking to the girls about taboo topics like sex and partying. With her recent pivot to the celebrity interview space, her podcast pulls in millions of views per video. Safe to say, she packs a punch.
In the other corner, sponsored by Reale Actives, you know her for her storytimes and party content, everyoneâs favourite Hot Mess, Alix Earle. She has amassed more than 8.5 million followers on TikTok and more than 337,000 on YouTube. She recently moved into the beauty space with her brand Reale Actives. Sheâs a worthy opponent.
So, tune in to your favourite social media platform whenever Alix Earle responds to see these two fight it out in the comment section and TikTok posts.
Now I couldnât give a ratâs ass about why these two are fighting, but since social media seems to be insistent on pushing this feud onto everyoneâs timeline, here we are. Like many famous feuds, the internet has resorted to the only thing it knows how to do: take sides and defend your position like thereâs no tomorrow. Seriously, these people dedicate more time and effort to defending random millionaires online than they do to their own lives. While some may understand the need to insert themselves into this drama via TikTok defenses, I would just like to remind everyone that these people are millionaires. After this is all over, theyâll move on and thrive on the boost in popularity this tiff has gotten them. And while I think itâs okay to comment on internet drama, it sometimes gets to a point where itâs parasocial and unhealthy. So be safe out there. With that out of the way, letâs get into the âdrama.â
Alex Cooper and Alix Earle were friends for a while before they got into business together. Alex Cooperâs podcast, âCall Her Daddy,â was started under Barstool Sports. After a fallout with her co-host, Cooper remained at Barstool and was eventually able to take the show out from under the Barstool umbrella and branch off to start her own podcast network, The Unwell Network (AKA the scene of the alleged crime).
After starting Unwell, Cooper signed on Alix Earle, which brought her podcast, âHot Mess,â under the Unwell umbrella. Despite the podcast being extremely successful on its own, Earle decided that this was a good idea, and so their business relationship began. And for a while, everything seemed to be going swimmingly, until Alix Earle suddenly stopped posting new episodes of Hot Mess in 2025 (She recently rebranded with a new show). Shortly after this, Unwell released its rights to the show, essentially removing it from the Unwell Network. This was done quietly, and no official statements were released from either side.
As with all breakups, whether it be romantic, friendship, or business-related, the internet will do its thing and turn it into this weekâs drama. So it did not take long for fans and foes of these creators to get on TikTok and throw their two cents onto everyoneâs ForYou pages. There were rumours of Alex Cooper being a mean girl and unfair boss, while others claimed that Alix Earle was unable to keep up with the demanding work environment that is the Unwell Network.
Now it is important to note that while most of this started as speculation from social media users, Alix Earle did add fuel to the fire when she decided to start interacting with posts and comments that were shading Alex Cooper. This only served to rile the keyboard warriors up, as people anticipated a real statement or reason for the fallout. Well, that never happened. This feud was contained to the comment sections and âsubtleâ likes. That was until the opening weekend of the influencer Olympics (Coachella).
On April 13th 2026, Alex Cooper broke her silence when she posted a TikTok calling out Alix Earle for her shady behaviour. Cooper called out Earleâs âpassive-aggressive reposts and likes,â and said that Alix was âgoing to have to get specific and just say what you gotta say about me.â Alix Earle responded in the comments with a simple âon it,â and social media caught on fire waiting for a response that would never come.
While I can appreciate a little internet drama, it is important to understand who these women are before we jump to conclusions. Before we rush to take sides in this flavourless feud, we should take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Beyond the superficial drama, these two, like many influencers, are simply rich, entitled, and often embroiled in controversy, whether they want us to see it or not. So before jumping on the internet to defend these people, ask yourself, are you choosing to ignore everything you know about these people in favour of some short-lived entertainment? And, at what point does oneâs controversial past and present overshadow their carefully crafted PR image?
If you have no idea what I am talking about and just saw these two as the same person, donât worry, I donât blame you. But I would like to invite you to take a peek behind the curtain of PR focused branding, and see what these influencers want you to ignore, because at the end of the day, this feud is just the tip of the iceberg on these two.
Beginning with the ever-controversial Alix Earle, from allegations of racism to being a Trump supporter, Earleâs carefully crafted PR image has not been able to save her from herself. In 2024, screenshots of Alixâs Ask.fm account from 2014 resurfaced, showing her using a racial slur. She quickly released a statement apologizing for her behaviour, claiming she was young and did not understand the impact of what she was posting.
While she acknowledged that what she did was wrong, her apology did not come without added controversy. She addressed rumours that her lawyers sent two podcasters threatening emails about a post on a subreddit for their podcast, talking about the drama. Jesse Smiles and Lily Marston host the podcast âDo We Know Them,â where they commentate on internet and celebrity drama. As with many podcasts, they have fan-made Reddit pages dedicated to their show. One of these pages posted the screenshots of Alixâs Ask.fm page, and instead of contacting the redditor responsible for the post or the page, Alix Earleâs lawyer contacted Lily and Jesse. The lawyer claimed that they violated copyright because the screenshots were trademarked. While Alix denied all of this in her statement, I do not believe her. Her team probably saw that Lily and Jesse addressed all of this and provided proof, so instead of admitting they did something wrong and facing the backlash, they did the only thing PR teams know how to do: deny, deny, deny.
As for the screenshots themselves, I find what she did to be disgusting. Most people know the meaning and history behind the word she used, and the harm it causes. I understand being young and making mistakes, and I am glad she addressed it with an apology, but when you look at her more recent behaviour, one begins to question how much she really meant it. I mean, if you truly learned your lesson, you wouldnât be caught supporting a known racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and overall horrible man, right?
Well, unfortunately for Alix, she could not hide her support for US President Donald Trump. In 2022, she posted an Instagram story featuring a âTrump 2020â flag. She rushed to explain this in a live stream when the backlash started rolling in, accusing her of being a Trump supporter. She stated that her political beliefs at the time were shaped by where she grew up and those around her. She claimed that she no longer supports Donald Trump and that she has grown. As for the picture, she said she took a picture of the flag on a boat and simply posted it without thinking.
While her âapologyâ was enough for some, I find it hard to believe. She only decided to post this explanation after she was called out, meaning she only cared to make it clear that she wasnât a Trump supporter when it negatively impacted her brand. On top of that, she chose to go with the famous line seen in every influencer apology, âI didnât know any better.â This is hard to believe, considering the fact that she was an adult when she posted that picture, and all of the information about who Donald Trump was and his beliefs were already out there.
Regardless of what you choose to believe, it is important to understand that she was not simply a republican, she was a clear follower of MAGA (trust me, those are two different beasts). When you post something in support of Donald Trump, no matter the size of your statement, you are supporting all of his racism, sexism, and oppressive policies. While some would say this does not make you a bad person, I would argue that the people you support and surround yourself with are a reflection of who you are. The reason most people support a politician or political party is that they align with their values.
It makes you question what her values were and if a few years is enough to completely change that. And was there really any change, or was this just an effort to save herself from losing her audience? While some may dismiss your Ask.fm posts as a youthful indiscretion, I think when you grow up to (allegedly) support a man like Donald Trump, it erases all of the work you claim you did to unlearn that past behaviour. And at some point, the controversies pile up, and it makes it hard to believe that you have grown as much as you claim.
That was a lot, but alas, we must move on to Alex Cooper. While she does not have the political and racism allegations often tied to Alix Earle, her reputation lends credit to the many claims on social media that she is a mean girl (how dare you make the keyboard warriors right). Not only that, but she has recently found herself in hot water due to the alleged behaviour of a man.
The Unwell drama with Alix Earle was not Alex Cooperâs first brush with a business breakup. In 2020, she was hosting Call Her Daddy under Barstool with her co-host, Sofia Franklyn. In the Spring of the year, Sofia would leave Barstool and the podcast due to a very public dispute over contract negotiations regarding the showâs ownership and intellectual property (IP). They were offered the chance to stay at Barstool for another year to obtain the showâs IP, but Sofia turned down the deal and departed, leaving Alex to host the podcast alone. She was eventually able to gain ownership and take the podcast out from under Barstool the following year.
This resulted in the years-long feud between Alex and Sofia, with Franklyn constantly discussing the drama while Cooper has chosen to stay silent and move on. While I will admit that I find Sofia Franklyn insufferable, she does have a right to be upset. In a way, she was betrayed by the company and the co-host she was loyal to, and that would leave a stain on any friendship. But I will say that at some point, you do have to move and do your own thing, and that I hope she does.
Speaking of Call Her Daddy, the podcast started as a show for women in their 20s, where the host(s) discussed sex, relationships, and life. This was the format that shot the show to the top of the charts and grew its ever-loyal audience of listeners. However, in recent years, the show has pivoted as the personal feel of a morning-after debrief has been swapped for the glamorous world of celebrity interviews. While there are still episodes that are reminiscent of the early Call Her Daddy days, the showâs main focus has shifted, and it is clear that Cooper has grown out of the old format. This would not be a problem if viewers were being delivered quality content that gave them an insightful look into these celebrities, but alas, we should have kept our expectations low for influencer-hosted interviews.
Think about a red carpet interview hosted by a real journalist, with years of schooling and experience under their belt, itâs usually decent, right? Now think of one hosted by an influencer who got famous off their TikToks during the pandemic, usually a dumpster fire. Thereâs a clear discrepancy, and it has become a common complaint among viewers, who claim that these influencers donât know what they are doing. They cannot ask hard-hitting questions, they do not understand the flow of an interview, and they cannot for the life of them pivot away from their pre-prepared questions to follow-ups that would make the experience even a little interesting. These shortcomings are not limited to the red carpet, as many influencers, Alex included, have gotten the idea that theyâre the next Anderson Cooper.
Alex suffers from the same lack of skill that we see in other influencers. Most would consider a good interview with a celebrity as something that feels like a real conversation. It flows naturally, with the interviewer being able to go with the flow and improvise on the spot to get the best answers. These interviews are supposed to feel like an insight into this person, whether it be a light-hearted opinion or a deep conversation. The overall goal is to learn something, but when you watch Call Her Daddy, itâs hard to walk away from the experience feeling any sort of satisfaction for what you just watched.
In most interviews, Cooper refuses to dive deeper into the conversations she is facilitating. There will be moments when her subject says something interesting or scandalous, and instead of pressing further, Alex simply responds with a âno wayâ and moves on to the next question. The general formula for her interviews is: ask questions, get answers, move on. There are no follow-ups or interesting commentary; itâs simply a question-and-answer session. And while this may be great for the celebrity and their PR team, itâs bad entertainment for the viewers.
I am not saying that all influencers are bad interviewers. Look at Emma Chamberlain on the Met Gala red carpet; sheâs able to keep a conversation going while asking questions. And while some of that may just be natural charisma, you have to admit that she puts in the work to deliver a good product. I just wish the same could be said for Alex, as she has access to some of the biggest stars in the world.
While facilitating bland interviews is not a crime, it is worth acknowledging because this is her job. She is not only providing her viewers with low-quality content but also making a profit from it. It makes one question whether this is something she is passionate about or simply a source of income. And trust me, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
While being a bad interviewer is not considered a crime, facilitating a toxic work environment is in many cases. A recent report from Bloomberg exposed that there was a great deal of employee turnover at Trending, the parent company of Alexâs Unwell Network and ACE Entertainment, a production company owned by her husband, Matt Kaplan.
Trending is marketed as a Gen-Z-focused media company that was founded by Alex and Matt in 2023. This was supposed to be the company that served as an umbrella for their media empire, but it seems all of this power has gone to their heads as reports of Mattâs explosive behaviour run rampant. Bloomberg reported that Matt Kaplan has been berating staff to the point where many of them have threatened to quit. One account detailed his behaviour during filming for Alex Cooperâs âUnwell Winter Games,â where Kaplanâs behaviour was so outrageous that it resulted in multiple formal complaints from staff.
Now I would just like to make it clear that Alex is not responsible for her husbandâs behaviour; he is a grown man who should know how to conduct himself in a work environment. However, when you are the founder of a company, and you see your co-founder act in such a disrespectful, borderline abusive way towards your staff, you have a responsibility to do something about it. And before the keyboard warriors start, I am sure Alex is aware of Mattâs behaviour. As the co-founder, she has to be aware of the goings on within the company, and when there are multiple formal complaints against her husband, I find it impossible for her to be oblivious to all of it. Her husbandâs behaviour has to be consistent for it to get this far. I am assuming that at some point, complaints fell on deaf ears, and nothing was being done to improve the toxic work environment. It probably got so bad that someone felt the need to make this story public and gave information to Bloomberg. Because trust me, employees donât go nuclear unless itâs bad.
If my assumptions are correct, which I think they are, thereâs no way sheâs that oblivious; it means that Alex knew about all of this and chose to do nothing. It is troubling to know that she was most likely aware of this toxic behaviour and let it happen. As I said with Alix Earle, to a certain degree, the people you associate with are a reflection of who you are and what you tolerate. While she may not be the one screaming at staff, sheâs still willing to tolerate it. And it shows everyone that while she may talk a big game in public, when it comes to standing up for people, in real life she is unable to rise to the occasion. This begs the question of what her true values are. Does she really care about those who work for her, or are they simply a means to an end? Is she truly the mean girl that everyone has painted her as? And did we really expect an entitled influencer to believe in treating people with basic dignity and respect?
Regardless of whether my assumptions are correct, Matt Kaplanâs behaviour is unacceptable. He is a 42-year-old producer who has been in the film industry for over a decade, meaning he should know better. Treating people with basic decency and respect is the bare minimum, and the fact that he cannot do that proves that he is simply another entitled man who has never been held accountable for his behaviour.
Like with Alix Earle, you can only be given the benefit of the doubt so many times. Eventually, when the controversies pile up, the rumours start to look less like speculation and more like a pattern. Your choices shape public perception, and no PR team can spin standing by your husband while he berates staff into something positive.
Now that we have taken a journey through the depths of hell to see who these two really are, this feud starts to look very different. Itâs no longer just two influencers fighting on the internet; it raises a bigger question: why do we care more about flavourless drama than the people behind it? Why are we so quick to pick sides, yet so reluctant to confront the patterns of behaviour laid out in front of us?
At some point, we have to look beyond petty drama and see that these two are nothing more than two problematic influencers who would rather you comment on their surface-level feud than look deeper into who they really are. Because once you do, they lose the one thing that matters to them, their audience.
So, are you still taking sides, or are you choosing to dismiss this feud as a seasonless meal that promises drama and entertainment but cannot seem to deliver? Because at the end of the day, this isnât just about them, itâs about you. You choose who you watch, who you defend, and what you tolerate. And now that weâve seen what Alex Cooper and Alix Earle are willing to overlook, the real question is: what are you willing to tolerate for the sake of entertainment?
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https://www.reddit.com/r/CallHerDaddy/comments/1f202ri/alix_earle_responds_to_past_use_of_racial_slurs/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AlixearleSnark/comments/zxzslt/alix_using_the_nword_on_askfm_when_she_was_14/
https://www.reddit.com/r/LAinfluencersnark/comments/1qpvu1u/alix_earle_is_such_a_loser_for_this/
https://www.reddit.com/r/CallHerDaddy/comments/1k19ig1/do_you_feel_like_alex_is_a_bad_interviewer_and_why/