Scooter Braun’s Call Pulled Him Into the ‘Call Her Daddy’ Split

Franklyn writes that her then-boyfriend, Peter Nelson, suggested she speak with Braun as negotiations with Barstool broke down. Nelson, then an HBO Sports executive, had become friends with Braun after discussing potential deals involving Braun’s artists, a source told the Daily Mail. The source characterized Braun’s involvement as informal.

Franklyn says she and Braun related to each other because both had experienced highly public disputes: she was watching the fight over her podcast play out, while Braun had faced criticism from Taylor Swift over the master recordings for her first six albums. Braun’s company had acquired Big Machine Records the previous year in a deal that included those masters; Swift publicly objected to the purchase and accused him of bullying her.

The co-hosts disagreed over why their Barstool negotiations failed. Franklyn claims Cooper was earning $20,000 more than she was and was trying to secure a deal without her. Cooper has said the talks broke down over Franklyn’s demands, including ownership of the podcast’s intellectual property. Franklyn disputes that account and says she wanted to continue.

According to Franklyn, Braun called then-Barstool CEO Erika Nardini, who told Portnoy. Portnoy then addressed the call in a selfie video, saying Braun had acted on Nelson’s behalf; he called Nelson “Suitman,” invoked Braun’s dispute with Swift and said Braun’s involvement would not sway Barstool.

Franklyn says Braun called again after the video. She quotes him calling Portnoy “a character” and “a f-cking idiot,” then offering more restrained advice about Cooper: “if you see any possible path forward with Alex, text her.” He later withdrew from the talks. A Daily Mail source said Braun and his team were upset at being drawn into another public dispute after the Swift controversy. The source quoted him as saying he had made one call to help, “and that just blew up in my face. This wasn’t my battle.”

The partnership ended in 2020, when Franklyn left and Cooper continued the podcast alone. “Daddy Issues” also covers Franklyn’s childhood in Utah with a single mother, her struggles with alcohol and drugs when younger, her work at Morgan Stanley and her relationship with Cooper, from New York City roommates to friends and business partners. The memoir is out now.