Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy recently addressed explosive allegations and rumors involving former co-workers during a podcast appearance, firmly pushing back against claims made in a newly released memoir. Discussing the details on an episode of The Toast, Portnoy responded directly to implications raised by Sofia Franklyn in her book Daddy Issues regarding his past interactions with fellow podcaster Alex Cooper. The memoir suggested a previous romantic connection between Portnoy and Cooper during their early days working together, pointing to a specific visit to his apartment as the source of suspicion. Portnoy forcefully denied these assertions, maintaining that neither of the women had visited his Manhattan residence prior to a formal rooftop meeting arranged exclusively for professional purposes.
Dave Portnoy Addresses Barstool Co-Worker Accusations
The ongoing public friction highlights the lingering fallout from the high-profile departure of the Call Her Daddy podcast hosts from Barstool Sports years prior. During the podcast discussion, Portnoy elaborated on the timeline of events, emphasizing that professional boundaries were strictly maintained despite the intense media scrutiny surrounding their network departures. When specifically asked by the podcast hosts whether he and Cooper had ever engaged in romantic contact, Portnoy offered a blunt denial and asserted that their professional relationship was strained and contentious. Representatives for Cooper and Franklyn did not immediately respond to media requests for comment regarding the passages printed in the memoir.
Sources close to the situation indicated that Cooper was managing the situation privately while continuing normal promotional schedules for her various media projects. Meanwhile, Portnoy made no secret of his ongoing frustrations with Franklyn, discussing their fractured history at length during the interview. He used the platform to air past grievances related to past investigative reporting and subsequent legal battles, referencing a 2021 media report involving allegations against him and accusing Franklyn of directing reporters toward specific sources. Portnoy previously filed a defamation lawsuit against the publication in February 2022, which was formally dismissed nine months later by a federal judge.
Despite their tumultuous history, Portnoy did find a point of agreement with Franklyn during the podcast regarding trademark naming disputes stemming from their time working together at the digital media company. Both figures continue to command massive audiences across their respective digital platforms as new details from the book circulate online among fans. Whether these public remarks will prompt further formal responses from the other parties involved remains a topic of considerable interest across media circles heading into the weekend.
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