What Is Going on in the Alex/Alix Verse? The Alex Cooper v. Alix Earle Feud Explained
There’s no feeling quite like stumbling upon Internet drama that you’re only, at best, tangentially involved with. For a lot of people, that feeling has blossomed amid the news of a feud between Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper and TikTok influencer Alix Earle.
Some have been shocked to learn that Cooper and Earle are two separate people, given their similar blonde aesthetics and corners of the media landscape. Nearly everyone is confused as to why this feud began in the first place: which is understandable, given the years-long history that led to it.
Cooper and Earle’s working relationship began on August 8th, 2023, when Cooper launched The Unwell Network, a production shingle hoping to foster “unique voices that embrace social challenges and personal insecurities through honest conversation.” Earle was one of the company’s first signings, with Cooper saying at the time that: “Alix took the U.S. by storm with her ‘get ready with me’ videos, college lifestyle, and endearing personality. I feel honored to be at a place in my career where I can pass along knowledge and advice for a new generation of creators to flourish.”
Things were relatively quiet for the following year or so, as Earle’s Hot Mess podcast debuted and released a number of episodes. But on the 2024 Christmas episode of Hot Mess, Earle’s father TJ Earle vaguely mentioned that he’s had have “hard conversations with people” about his daughter’s business ventures. Speculation then grew even further that following February, when Earle skipped out on Unwell’s Super Bowl party, even though she was already in town.
A few weeks later, on February 25, 2025, a report from Variety confirmed that Earle’s Hot Mess podcast had been dropped by the Unwell Network. At the time, the report stated that “SiriusXM will also no longer sell ads for the show and that the Unwell Network has renounced all rights to Hot Mess so that Earle can freely explore future opportunities.” A report from Us Weekly added even more color to the situation, saying that Cooper and Earle had “had a lot of drama between them [since] they decided to collaborate on Unwell. They clashed over business, and their friendship is over because of it,” and that Earle’s father “did not like what Unwell was doing” with the podcast. A few days later, Earle took to TikTok and simply revealed: “There’s been a lot of chatter online this week about me and work. I also have no idea what’s going on.”
A Hot Mess?!
A month later, Earle announced via TikTok that she was pausing new episodes of Hot Mess altogether, saying that she “kind of can’t get into the details of it all right now, but I’ve loved it so, so much, and I’m really proud of what I built with the podcast.” That same day, Cooper took to her own TikTok to say that Unwell had “nothing to do” with Earle’s decision to pause the podcast, and that the company “gave her everything back.”
Things got cryptic from both Earle and Cooper in the following months, with Earle telling The Wall Street Journal that her exit from Unwell was “a little bit of a hot mess”, and threatening on TikTok to get “revenge” by revealing things about Cooper. Cooper, meanwhile, seemed to throw shade at Earle by setting an Instagram post to Britney Spears’ “Circus”, which Earle had danced to while a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.
The potential feud kicked back up earlier this month, when Earle allegedly reposted a TikTok criticizing Cooper and Call Her Daddy. On April 13th, Cooper posted her own TikTok directly calling out Earle’s behavior, arguing that she doesn’t need to be cagey with her behavior.
“Hey girl, the passive aggressive reposts and the likes and the commenting on things—I’ve got to call you out here,” Cooper says in the video. “You’re going to need to get specific and just say what you’ve got to say about me. There’s no NDA. No one is stopping you. Stop hiding behind other people and just say it yourself… What’s the beef? ‘Cause I’m really tired of waking up and seeing you using this fake drama to distract from other shit going online from you. Not interested. I know what happened, and so do you. So talk. Unless the fake narrative that you’re creating happens to be way more interesting than the truth. I have nothing to hide when it comes to you and me.”
Earle soon commented on Cooper’s TikTok with “Okay on it!!”, and shared her own TikTok of her reaction to watching the callout video from the first time. Later that week, she posted a video of herself pole-dancing to a cover of “You Don’t Own Me”, which many interpreted to be shading Cooper.
Most recently (at the time of this writing, at least), a report from Bloomberg has shed light on the workplace culture at Trending, the Unwell Network’s parent company. In particular, the report claims that staff have threatened to quit or leave the job after being berated by Cooper’s husband, Matt Kaplan. It is unclear if this has any connection to Cooper and Earle’s feud, but either way, it definitely adds more detail to the still-ongoing situation.
(featured image: Call Her Daddy/Hot Mess)
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