Hulu’s docuseries,Call Her Alex, provides insight into the life and career of podcaster Alex Cooper and the end of her personal and professional relationship with her former castmate, Sofia Franklyn.The Hulu documentaryfollows how Cooper started her career as a young girl, making movies and videos with her family and friends, before launching her comedy and advice podcast,Call Her Daddy, in December 2018, in which she co-starred with Sofia Franklyn.Call Her Daddyis ranked as one of the most successful comedy podcasts in history, with an average of two million downloads per month.
The documentary explores how Cooper’s passion for filmmaking and acting was inspired by her father’s career as a sports broadcaster, her experiences with cyberbullying and issues with self-esteem, and how she eventually moved to New York to begin her career. In one of severalshocking reveals inCall Her Alex, Cooper opens up about the sexual harassment she suffered at the hands of her former soccer coach at Boston University, and the internal struggles she faced while on tour for the first time.Call Her Alexalso explores her professional relationship with Franklyn and why Franklyn later left the podcast.
Alex Cooper & Sofia Franklyn’s Call Her Daddy Podcast History Explained
Cooper & Franklyn Began Their Podcast In 2018
InCall Her Alex, Cooper reflects on how she left Boston University and moved to New York City, where she rented an apartment with Franklyn. In episode two of the Hulu docuseries, Cooper visits the old apartment where she lived with Franklyn and is allowed a tour of the premises by the new tenants. During episode 2,Cooper reflects how she “really wanted to get into film and television” but received multiple rejections from companies. After launching aYouTubechannel, Cooper decided that she wanted to “take a risk” and was encouraged by her father to try podcasting.
Cooper spoke about her initial friendship with Franklyn inCall Her Alex, stating that they would talk about “everything and anything” and shared several common interests. Cooper recalled how she asked Franklyn if she’d be interested in working on a podcast and Franklyn decided to accept the opportunity. In the first episode ofCall Her Daddy,Franklyn jokingly introduces herself to the audience as a person appearing on the podcast “just to ride Alex’s coattails.“Cooper and Franklyn’s audible chemistry and humorous content quickly caught the attention ofBarstool Sports, who offered them a three-year contract (viaKhan Media Law).
Sofia Franklyn’s Call Her Daddy Exit Occurred While Renegotiating Barstool Sports Contracts
Franklyn Decided Not To Accept A Year-Long Extension To Their Barstool Sports Contract
As seen inCall Her Alex, the deal that Cooper and Franklyn initially signed withBarstool Sportsallowed them the opportunity to expand on their podcast. Their download rate quickly rose in popularity and the duo began to sell merchandise relating to their podcast and catchphrases; formerCosmopolitaneditor-in-chief, Jessica Giles, revealed thatthe podcast’s success was helped by the fact that it debuted one year after the #MeToo Movementand its content allowed listeners to talk more openly about sexual consent. WhileCall Her Daddyproved successful, in 2020, it was announced that Franklyn would be leaving the podcast.
While Cooper chose to accept Portnoy’s offer, she revealed inCall Her Alexthat “Sofia didn’t want to take the deal,” which eventually led to Franklyn’s departure from the podcast and Barstool Sports.
During their contract renegotiation withBarstool Sports,the company’s founder, David Portnoy, offered Cooper and Franklyn a new dealwhich Cooper referred to in the docuseries as “the deal of a lifetime.” Portnoy offered the duo the opportunity to gain ownership of the rights toCall Her Daddy, if they agreed to stay withBarstool Sportsfor one more year. While Cooper chose to accept Portnoy’s offer, she revealed inCall Her Alexthat “Sofia didn’t want to take the deal,” which eventually led to Franklyn’s departure from the podcast andBarstool Sports(viaThe New York Times).
Sofia & Alex’s Personal & Professional Relationships Were Breaking Down Before Call Her Daddy’s Split
Both Women Have Continued On With Their Podcasting Careers
The announcement of Franklyn’s departure fromCall Her Daddywas met with shock and disappointment from listeners of the podcast. But as revealed by Cooper inCall Her Alex,the two were facing difficulties in both their professional and personal relationships for several months prior to the split. In the Hulu docuseries, Cooper described her friendship with Franklyn as “the classic… where people genuinely [believed they] were like sisters, but [their] relationship was so awful.” FormerBarstool Sports CEO, Erika Ayers Badan also stated that overtime Cooper and Franklyn “became more aware of how different they were” in personality.
Following their professional split, bothCooper and Franklyn have continued working in the podcasting industry. As depicted inCall Her Alex, Cooper has continued her work onCall Her Daddy, and has interviewed guest stars such as Camila Cabello, Post Malone, and Laverne Cox (viaPodchaser). Meanwhile, Franklyn has launched a new podcast,Sofia With An F, where she discusses day-to-day topics, including lifestyles, dating nightmares, and personal experiences (viaFortune). While there is no confirmation of any reconciliation between Cooper and Franklyn, listeners of the originalCall Her Daddypodcast remain hopeful that the two will eventually reunite.
Call Her Alex
Cast
Alex Cooper, the driving force behind Call Her Daddy, has reached a major career milestone with a record-setting podcast deal. A new two-part documentary provides an intimate look at her journey, shedding light on the critical experiences and decisions that have established her as a powerful and influential figure in the podcasting world.
