Did Dave Portnoy just throw his former employee under the bus with the most savage advice ever?
The 49-year-old Barstool Sports founder is serving us piping hot tea about what he told Alex Cooper before Vanity Fair came for her neck with that explosive Unwell Network exposé. And honey, his advice was basically: “Girl, you’re cooked.” Portnoy spilled to Us Weekly while promoting his debut memoir, Cancel Me If You Can, that he and Cooper actually had a chat before the article went live. “We talked, she knew the article was coming,” he revealed with zero filter. “I’m like, there’s nothing you can say to Vanity Fair.” OUCH. Talk about a vote of confidence!
Translation: Dave basically told her to sit down, shut up, and accept her fate. How very supportive of the man who employed her! The implication here is pretty clear—when Vanity Fair comes knocking with receipts and receipts and MORE receipts, you might as well save your breath. The publication’s investigative journalism is apparently so legendary in Portnoy’s eyes that he basically told Cooper to wave the white flag before the battle even started.
This whole situation is absolutely DELICIOUS because it shows Dave’s “real talk” personality that he’s known for. He’s not the type to sugarcoat things or coddle people, and apparently, that extends to watching former employees get publicly eviscerated. While promoting his tell-all memoir, the Barstool mogul isn’t holding back about anything—not his thoughts on cancel culture, not his past controversies, and certainly not his take on Cooper’s mess.
The internet has been absolutely unhinged over this revelation. Some people are saying Dave is brutally honest and refreshingly real, while others are calling him cold-blooded for essentially throwing in the towel on Cooper’s behalf. The drama surrounding the Unwell Network has been the gift that keeps on giving, and now we’ve got Portnoy weighing in with his signature no-BS attitude.
What started as a content empire quickly became a cautionary tale about transparency and business practices, and apparently, Dave saw it coming from a mile away. Whether that makes him prophetic or just jaded is anyone’s guess.
What do you think? A) Dave’s advice was harsh but honest B) Dave should have supported his former employee more