Alex Cooper Called Out Alix Earle on TikTok. It Exposed the Creator Economy's Biggest Power Struggle.

Alex Cooper, the $125 million "Call Her Daddy" host and second-biggest podcaster in America, just went scorched earth on Alix Earle — the 25-year-old TikTok megastar she once mentored — in a TikTok video that's now the most talked-about moment in the creator economy this month. Earle's response? A pole-dancing video set to "You Don't Own Me." This isn't just influencer drama. It's the creator economy's most public — and most instructive — business breakup.

What exactly happened between Alex Cooper and Alix Earle?

On April 13, Cooper posted a TikTok directly addressing Earle by name. "Alix Earle, hey girl, the passive-aggressive reposts and the likes and the commenting on things — I gotta call you out here," Cooper said. "You're gonna need to get specific and just say what you gotta 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?"

The callout came after Earle had reposted a TikTok from another creator calling Cooper an "ambulance chaser" — accusing her of exploiting women's trauma by inviting them on her podcast. Cooper fired back: "I'm really tired of you using this fake drama to distract from other shit going online for you. I know what happened, and so do you. So talk."

Earle's response was a masterclass in unbothered energy. Her friends filmed her waking up "the morning after Coachella" to watch Cooper's video. "Is it funny?" she asked. After watching the full clip, she smiled: "Wait, that just literally made my whole day." Days later, she posted a pole-dancing TikTok set to "You Don't Own Me" with the caption: "Sorry been busy filming this week."

How did a mentorship turn into the creator economy's ugliest breakup?

This didn't start with a TikTok. It started with a business deal. In August 2023, Cooper launched the Unwell Network and signed Earle as one of its first creators. "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," Cooper said at the time. Earle's "Hot Mess" podcast debuted under the Unwell umbrella.

Things quietly deteriorated over the next 18 months. By December 2024, Earle's father TJ Earle was hinting at "hard conversations with people" on the podcast. In February 2025, Variety confirmed that Unwell had dropped "Hot Mess." A source told Us Weekly: "They clashed over business, and their friendship is over because of it."

Was it about creative control or just bad business?

The answer is both. One insider told Us Weekly that "Alix's dad got more involved in her business decisions and did not like what Unwell was doing. He ultimately thought it ended up not being a smart business move." Another source claimed the podcast was "dropped because her fan base did not translate to viable listenership." Either way, the message was clear: the protégé had outgrown the network.

By May 2025, Earle was talking to the Wall Street Journal about the split, calling the experience "behind the scenes, a little bit of a hot mess." By August, she was openly teasing revenge on TikTok: "My Co-Star told me that I can start shit today. I have so much information. We could go."

They clashed over business, and their friendship is over because of it. Alix's dad got more involved in her business decisions and did not like what Unwell was doing. He ultimately thought it ended up not being a smart business move.

— Source close to the situation, via Us Weekly

Why does the Cooper–Earle feud matter beyond the drama?

Because this is the creator economy's version of a corporate breakup — and the stakes are enormous. Cooper's $125 million SiriusXM deal makes her the second-highest-paid podcaster alive, behind only Joe Rogan. Earle's estimated $20 million net worth includes equity in Poppi (which sold to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion), four Super Bowl commercials, a Netflix reality show, and her newly launched Reale Actives skincare line.

When two creators at this level go to war publicly, it reveals the structural tension baked into every creator network deal: Who owns the audience? Who owns the upside? Cooper built Unwell to be a kingmaker — sign emerging talent, give them a platform, take a cut. But what happens when the talent's personal brand eclipses the network itself?

Are brands already picking sides?

Yes. Carl's Jr. publicly stood by Earle amid the feud — a signal that brand partners are watching closely and making calculated decisions about which creator's audience they want to be associated with. In the influencer economy, where brand deals can range from $50,000 to $500,000+ per post at this level, a public feud doesn't just create drama — it reshuffles the commercial deck.

What does the Cooper–Earle fallout mean for creators signing network deals?

Everything. The Unwell Network model — established creator signs rising talent, provides distribution and infrastructure, takes a percentage — is the dominant playbook in podcasting and creator media right now. Cooper's network wasn't unique; it was the template. And now that template is cracking in public.

• Read the fine print on creative control. The Cooper–Earle split reportedly stemmed from disagreements over business direction — not content. Your network deal isn't just about distribution; it's about who makes decisions.
• Your family is your board of directors. Earle's father getting involved in business decisions was reportedly a turning point. For creators, trusted advisors outside the industry can see what you can't.
• Outgrowing a deal isn't betrayal. Earle's audience and brand value grew faster than the network that signed her. That's not drama — that's leverage. The question is whether the deal accommodates growth or punishes it.
• There's no such thing as a private breakup. In the creator economy, every business dispute becomes content. Cooper and Earle's feud has generated millions of views — which, ironically, is exactly what a podcast network is supposed to do.

Is the creator network model fundamentally broken?

Not broken — but badly in need of an upgrade. The Cooper–Earle saga is a cautionary tale about what happens when creator networks are built on star power instead of infrastructure. Unwell's value proposition was Cooper herself — her credibility, her audience, her name. When the relationship soured, there was nothing structural holding the deal together.

The next generation of creator networks — companies like Fixated (which just acquired Studio71 for 1,000+ creators) — are betting that infrastructure, not personality, is what keeps talent loyal. Revenue splits, production support, distribution tools, merch operations — the things that make leaving expensive, not emotionally complicated.

Earle told a commenter asking for the full story: "On it." Cooper dared her to talk. The internet is waiting. But whatever Earle reveals next won't just be gossip — it'll be the most detailed public autopsy of a creator network deal we've ever seen. And every creator considering signing with a network should be taking notes.