Alex Cooper says social media spat with Alix Earle is 'not a PR stunt'

Nbcwashington · Apr 16, 2026 · 793 words · By Angela Yang; NBC News

Social Media Reputation Influencer Conflict

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What to know about Social Media Reputation

Three of social media’s biggest stars are taking their spat to the court of public opinion.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Three of social media’s biggest stars are taking their spat to the court of public opinion.

Why it matters

Influencers Alex Cooper and Alix Earle, who were rumored to have a massive fallout last year, have exchanged barbs on social media in the past week, renewing fan interest in their purported feud.

Common ground

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Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Social Media Reputation story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that “I work at Barstool, so Dave introduced me to Alex Cooper.”?
How does this story connect Social Media Reputation with Influencer Conflict over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/alex-cooper-socia…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

info Single Source 1

cancel Disputed 1

help

Claim 1: ““I work at Barstool, so Dave introduced me to Alex Cooper.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this specific quote/claim.

verified

Claim 2: “Cooper, whose "Call Her Daddy" podcast is among the most listened-to shows, has built a brand with Unwell Network, a subsidiary of the media company Trending, which she founded with her husband, Matt Kaplan.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Wikipedia confirms Cooper hosts 'Call Her Daddy', the provided evidence for this specific claim consists of generic Wikipedia entries for the name 'Alex' and unrelated topics. There is no evidence in the provided text confirming the founding of 'Trending' with husband Matt Kaplan.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Call Her Daddy is an advice and comedy podcast created by Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn in 2018. The podcast was owned and distributed by Barstool Sports until June 2021, when it was announced that C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Her_Daddy

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of channels on both the American and Canadian versions of SiriusXM. It includes a live sports, news, entertainment, contemporary stars, rock icons, Rock, Country, and Hip Hop, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SiriusXM_Radio_channel…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Madeline Felicity Argy (born 7 July 2000) is an English influencer. She created her TikTok account in 2021 and became known online for her candid storytimes. A video of her talking about a worm inside…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeline_Argy

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Cooper also claiming Barstool Sports podcaster Brianna LaPaglia (known online as Brianna Chickenfry) is “adding onto the fake narrative and dog pile” by calling her a “mean girl.””

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Cooper accused Brianna LaPaglia (Brianna Chickenfry) of adding to a 'fake narrative' and calling her a 'mean girl'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alex Cooper; Brianna Chickenfry. Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty; Gilbert Flores/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty.Following Cooper's posts, LaPaglia responded by saying Earle previously told her Cooper is a "v…
https://www.aol.com/articles/alex-cooper-calls-brianna-lapag…

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web search NEUTRAL — Why Alex Cooper and Brianna Chickenfry Are Making "Mean Girl" Accusations at One Another."This girl on girl s--t needs to stop,” Cooper wrote. “While Alix tries to get her story together, let me addre…
https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1430950/alex-cooper-brianna-…

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web search NEUTRAL — By Wednesday, it had escalated, with Cooper also claiming Barstool Sports podcaster Brianna LaPaglia (known online as Brianna Chickenfry) is “adding onto the fake narrative and dog pile” by calling he…
https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/entertainment-ne…

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Claim 4: “She was one of the first people Cooper signed for her Unwell Network”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources state that Alix Earle was one of the first creators signed to the Unwell Network.

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web search NEUTRAL — What to know about Alix Earle, Alex Cooper and their reported professional fallout. Earle's "Hot Mess" podcast was reportedly dropped from Cooper's Unwell Network.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/alex-cooper-alix-earl…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alix Earle's podcast, Hot Mess, was dropped from the Unwell Network, run by Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper, amid drama rumors. Entertainment.Earle's Hot Mess podcast was one of the first signed to the U…
https://www.themirror.com/entertainment/alix-earle-hot-mess-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alex Cooper, the host of the Call Her Daddy podcast, has started a new media company called The Unwell Network. One of the first creators signed to the network is TikTok star Alix Earle, who will be w…
https://pricpr.com/breaking-down-alex-cooper-and-alix-earles…

info

Claim 5: “Earle, who also hosted a podcast called "Hot Mess," left Unwell last year”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this specific claim (Claim 6) contains search results for an estate settlement company called 'Alix', which are irrelevant. However, evidence for Claim 5 mentions the 'Hot Mess' podcast was dropped from Unwell. The specific timing of 'last year' is not explicitly corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided evidence set.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alix is a service that helps families after loss, taking care of estate settlement and the many responsibilities that come with it. We support estates and trusts of all types and sizes, regardless of …
https://www.meetalix.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alix is the first and only automated wealth transfer solution designed to simplify the estate settlement process. With today’s announcement, Alix has now raised a total of $30.65M.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250721578329/en/Ali…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Aug 4, 2025 · Alix uses AI to simplify estate settlement processes, but keeps humans in the loop.
https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/profiles-strategie…

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Claim 6: “Cooper posted an Instagram story about LaPaglia... adding that she and LaPaglia have never met in person.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources confirm Cooper posted an Instagram story stating she and Brianna LaPaglia have never met in person.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Internet personality Brianna LaPaglia arrives at the Golden Globe Awards in 2025.Etienne Laurent / AFP via Getty Images file. “This girl-on-girls--- needs to stop,” Cooper wrote, adding that she and L…
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/alex-co…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Alex Cooper takes to Instagram Stories to address Brianna LaPaglia and Alix Earle.LaPaglia, Cooper claims, has been calling Cooper a “mean girl” in various comments sections even though they’ve never …
https://www.thecut.com/article/brianna-chickenfry-enters-the…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Why Alex Cooper and Brianna Chickenfry Are Making "Mean Girl" Accusations at One Another."From what Alix Earle told me, Alex Cooper is a very, very mean person,” LaPaglia continued. “Yeah, maybe my f-…
https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1430950/alex-cooper-brianna-…

verified

Claim 7: “Earle... exploded in popularity in 2023 while she was a student at the University of Miami by making viral “get ready with me” videos.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm Alix Earle rose to popularity via 'Get Ready With Me' videos while at the University of Miami.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Alix Ashley Earle (born December 16, 2000) is an American social media personality who rose to popularity posting "Get Ready With Me" videos on TikTok in which she shares details of her personal life.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alix_Earle

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Braxton Berrios (born October 6, 1995) is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was a star athlete at Leesville…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braxton_Berrios

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Miami Herbert Business School (officially the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School) is the business school of the University of Miami, a private university in Coral Gables, Flor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Herbert_Business_School

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “She now has 8.4 million followers on TikTok and 5.5 million on Instagram.”

DISPUTED

Different sources provide wildly different follower counts. One source mentions 3 million Instagram and 5.8 million TikTok followers, while the claim asserts 5.5 million and 8.4 million respectively. Follower counts fluctuate, but the evidence provided does not consistently support the specific numbers in the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gymshark Ltd is a British multinational athletic apparel retailer with head office in Solihull, England. Founded in June 2012 by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan, the company was initially operating from …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymshark

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tyler Dean Wade (born November 23, 1994) is an American professional baseball utility player who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Ang…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Wade

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 9: ““I’m friends with Alix Earl. Alix Earl told me everything that transpired between those two two years ago at the Super Bowl.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this specific quote/claim.

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Claim 10: “Alex Cooper posted a TikTok video Monday accusing Earle of resharing “passive-aggressive” social media posts about her.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Alex Cooper posted a TikTok video accusing Alix Earle of resharing passive-aggressive posts.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Alexandra Cooper (born August 21, 1994) is an American podcaster who co-created and hosts Call Her Daddy, a weekly comedy and advice podcast on Spotify. In 2021, Time Magazine called her "arguably th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Cooper_(podcaster)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.