Dave Portnoy Defends Brianna LaPaglia Amid Ongoing Drama With Alex Cooper

Dave Portnoy has entered the chat in Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia's drama with Alex Cooper.

"I just saw Brianna's response to Alex Cooper," the Barstool Sports founder, 49, said in a TikTok video on Wednesday, April 15. "Brianna just spilled my f***ing tea, what the f***."

Portnoy's video included a text exchange with LaPaglia, 26, about her video, saying he loved how "messy" it was.

The internet personality also addressed LaPaglia's claims about Cooper's thoughts on signing Grace O'Malley to Cooper's Unwell. (O'Malley and LaPaglia cohosted the "PlanBri Uncut" podcast on Barstool before O'Malley left in 2024.)

"Alright, here's the tea on that, this is something I did not spurt but yes … this is how it went down. When O'Malley went to Unwell and everyone was burying Chickenfry, me and Cooper had a conversation," he claimed. "And she's like, ‘I'm gonna do an interview with O'Malley and let her tell her side of the story.'"

Portnoy explained that he did not like the idea because he thought it would negatively affect LaPaglia. Portnoy claimed that he offered for O'Malley to speak her truth on his network multiple times but she did not take the offer. LaPaglia offered to join O'Malley on "Call Her Daddy," which Portnoy thought was fair.

"Me and Cooper came to an agreement. If O'Malley wouldn't go on with Bri, then she wouldn't put O'Malley on without Bri," he said. "Maybe I was like, ‘I'll go ballistic if you do that.' Maybe. Cause I was protecting Bri a little bit … O'Malley wouldn't agree to go on with Bri so neither of them went on. That's how it ended."

While LaPaglia spilled Portnoy's "tea," he quipped that he loves the drama.

Earlier on Thursday, LaPaglia added more fuel to the fire in the ongoing drama between Cooper and influencer Alix Earle.

"OK, Alex Cooper just made a TikTok about me saying she's not a mean girl because we had nice DMs before I found out everything about this girl," LaPaglia, 26, said in a Wednesday TikTok video. "The people that are saying this Alex on Alix crime is like a f***ing PR stunt, these are the same people that were saying bad [things] about [Summer House's] Amanda [Batula] and West [Wilson] that it was an April Fool's prank. Please guys get a brain cell."

LaPaglia claimed that she knew Cooper before her beef with Earle since LaPaglia works at Barstool Sports. (Cooper's podcast "Call Her Daddy" was part of Barstool before she signed a massive deal with Spotify in 2021.)

"I work at Barstool, so Dave [Portnoy] introduced me to Alex Cooper," she continued. "I was a fan of Alex Cooper before I knew the wrath of f***ing Alex Cooper and what she does to people and how she treats people."

LaPaglia added that since meeting Cooper all those years ago, she has become "friends" with Earle. (Earle hosted her "Hot Mess" podcast, which was broadcasted via Cooper's Unwell media network. Earle parted ways with Unwell in 2025.)

"I am friends with Alix Earle. Alix Earle told me everything that transpired between those two, two years ago at the Super Bowl," she claimed. "She told me everything. It didn't happen between them at the Super Bowl but that's when she told me everything. You can go time check me."

LaPaglia shared that she did not publicly speak on Earle and Cooper's drama before because it wasn't her place.

"It's not my story to tell so I didn't tell it. From what Alix Earle told me, Alex Cooper is a very, very mean person," she alleged. "Or maybe when Dave called me when Alex signed Grace to Unwell and she called Dave and said, ‘I don't give a f*** about Grace. I don't give a f*** about Brianna. All I care about is making money.' Yeah maybe my f***ing narrative switched on you after I found things out about you. I used to be a fan of you but now I'm clearly not anymore. I'm patiently sitting and waiting for Alix Earle to say her side of the story."

LaPaglia also addressed Cooper releasing messages that they previously exchanged online.

"And that video you made, that was mean girl 101. That was a mean girl final boss video," she quipped. "You seem like my ex posting my f***ing text to him when we were still dating and sending nice messages to him. You think I'm a mean girl? That was before I knew anything about you."

Us Weekly reached out to Cooper for comment.

Rumors have swirled of a feud between Earle and Cooper since Earle exited the Unwell Network in 2025. Earlier this month, Earlie seemingly threw shade at her former boss when she reposted a video calling Cooper the "grim reaper." After Earle's post made headlines, Cooper decided to address the alleged feud.

"But I am obviously seeing the videos, and I'm getting tagged. I see the DMs. I see the comments. So, at this point, it just feels long overdue," Cooper said in a TikTok video before directly addressing Earle. "Hey, girl. The passive aggressive reposts and the ‘likes' and the commenting on things, I gotta call you out here."

Cooper shared that there was "no NDA" and "no one was stopping" Earle from speaking her mind.

"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," Cooper continued. "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."

LaPaglia inserted herself into the drama earlier this month when she publicly supported Earle. Cooper subsequently called out LaPaglia on Wednesday and released several of their alleged private messages.

"This girl on girl s*** needs to stop. While Alix tries to get her story together, let me address Brianna Chickenfry who is adding onto the fake narrative and dog pile," she wrote via her Instagram Story on Wednesday. "Brianna, you coming online saying I'm a mean girl, that I'm going to get destroyed, in peoples comments saying I hate Alex Cooper … Here are the facts. I have never met you in my life. The only communication we have ever had together is through DM."

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 8:52 PM.