Alex Cooper and Alix Earle seemed like the perfect duo when they initially joined forces — but the social media stars had a falling out.
Cooper launched her Unwell Network in August 2023, signing Earle as her first hire. The following month, Earle’s “Hot Mess” podcast released its first episode.
More than a year later, Us Weekly confirmed that Cooper’s Unwell had dropped Earle’s show from the network. Variety was first to break the news in February 2025 that SiriusXM would no longer sell ads for “Hot Mess.” News of their professional split further fueled rumors that there were issues between Cooper and Earle.
“There’s a lot of tension,” a source told Us at the time. A second insider noted that Cooper and Earle “clashed over business,” which led to the end of their friendship.
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“They’ve had a lot of drama between them [since] they decided to collaborate on Unwell,” the second source added.
Both Cooper and Earle have given pretty diplomatic public responses when it came to sharing updates about the drama.
Keep scrolling for a complete breakdown:
Was Earle’s Dad Involved?
A source told Us in February 2025 that Earle’s dad, Thomas “TJ” Earle, played a role in the drama between herself and Cooper.
“Alix’s dad got more involved in her business decisions and did not like what Unwell was doing,” the insider shared. “He ultimately thought it ended up not being a smart business move.”
How Earle Moved On
Earle soft-launched her collaboration with Sip Margs, an alcohol brand in which she invested, amid the drama between her and Cooper.
One source told Us that Earle had plans to work “on bigger projects not related to the podcast space,” around the same time, which also led to the falling out with Cooper and Unwell.
Earle Speaks Out
Earle said she had “no idea what’s going on” in a February 2025 TikTok video, appearing to address the drama.
“This week has been, like, eh,” she said. “And, obviously, there’s been a lot of chatter online this week about me and work.”
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Cooper Offers an Update
When Earle hit the pause button on releasing a new episode of “Hot Mess,” fans pointed the finger at Cooper. However, the “Call Her Daddy” host was quick to set the record straight.
“Hi! I see ur comments. Alix not being able to podcast has nothing to do with Unwell,” Cooper shared in a March 2025 Instagram Story post. “IDK why she can’t/what’s going on. Unwell gave her everything back. She owns her IP.”
Cooper shared a TikTok video in April 2026 where she questioned Earle insinuating that there was drama between them, saying, “Hey, girl. The passive aggressive reposts and the ‘likes’ and the commenting on things, I gotta call you out here. … Just say what you gotta say about me. There’s no NDA and no one is stopping you. Stop hiding behind other people and just say it yourself. What’s the beef?”
She continued: “I’m really tired of waking up and seeing you using this fake drama to distract from other s*** going online for 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. Unless you actually have something to say, I’m out. This is over.”
Earle Addresses the Drama
“That was, behind the scenes, a little bit of a hot mess,” Earle said during her May 2025 WSJ. Magazine cover story when asked about the podcast drama.
“We have plans to bring things back, elevate things,” she added of the “Hot Mess” podcast. “It might look a little different, but I’m excited to see what we do with it.”
