When Craig Melvin brought up the elephant in the studio during Alix Earle’s Tuesday, May 12 appearance on Today, the 25-year-old internet personality had one clear strategy: change the subject. Fast.
Earle was there to celebrate her new Sports Illustrated cover—genuinely good news—but Melvin, 47, wasn’t about to let the ongoing tension between her and Alex Cooper slide. He asked directly about“this back and forth”between the two personalities, hoping for some real insight into what’s actually going on. Earle’s response? A friendly deflection wrapped in positivity.“I’m trying to keep things pretty positive today,”she said, adding that she didn’t want to“ruin such a good day with something not so great.”When Melvin pushed back, asking if the drama was legitimate or exaggerated, Earle kept it simple:“No, it’s exaggerated. I love everyone.”
But here’s the thing—the feud is very real, even if Earle isn’t ready to hash it out on live television. The two originally connected in September 2023 when Earle launched her“Hot Mess”podcast under Cooper’s Unwell Network. By February 2025, the podcast was dropped, and insiders told Us Weekly that“a lot of tension”had built up between them. The official reason? They“clashed over business,”and the friendship didn’t survive the collision.
Things escalated in April when Earle reposted a shady TikTok about Cooper, prompting the“Call Her Daddy”podcast host to release a frustration-filled public message.“I’m really tired of waking up and seeing you using this fake drama to distract from other s*** going online for you,”Cooper said, challenging Earle to get specific and stop hiding behind innuendo.“There’s no NDA and no one is stopping you,”she added, essentially daring Earle to say what she really meant. Earle replied with“OK on it!!”but neither has followed through with a deeper conversation since.
The backdrop here matters. A Bloomberg report from last month alleged that Cooper’s podcast network had faced dramatic staff turnover, with her husband Matt Kaplan—who runs day-to-day operations—earning“a reputation for frequently yelling at staff members.”Some have threatened to walk if he doesn’t keep his distance. The report was never addressed by Cooper or Kaplan, but it adds context to why business partnerships in that orbit might be fraught.
For Earle, dodging on Today was the smart move in the moment. But the question hanging in the air is clear: how long can she keep avoiding it? At some point, either she’ll go on record with specifics, or this stays a playground feud that keeps bubbling up in viral clips and social media drama. For now, she’s choosing the Sports Illustrated moment over the messy one—and who can blame her?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.