Chicks in the Office: “Alex Cooper vs Alix Earle Beef ft. Dave Portnoy + Justin Bieber Coachella”
April 13, 2026
Hosted by: Ria & Fran (Barstool Sports)
Special guest: Dave Portnoy

Episode Overview

This packed episode of Chicks in the Office finds Ria and Fran recapping the biggest moments from Coachella weekend, breaking down the viral Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter performances, and dissecting the emerging influencer drama between Alex Cooper and Alix Earle—with major insight from Barstool founder Dave Portnoy. Other segments include pop culture rapid-fire (Katy Perry drama, Britney Spears update, Taylor Swift wedding rumors), and the crew’s signature “Weekly Watch Report.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Coachella Weekend Recap

[06:56–15:00, 38:34–68:20]

• The Couch Perspective: Ria and Fran stayed home and consumed “Bedchella” through social media, obsessively tracking the festival’s houses, brand activations, and influencer content. Both shared how they judged everything—from the houses to the fashion—while loving the comfort of not actually attending.

  • “I just sat and judged everybody’s Coachella looks from my couch.” (Fran, 06:54)

• Influencer Houses & Branding Takeover: Discussion on the shifting paradigm of Coachella being more about influencer experiences, branded houses, and orchestrated content than the music.

  • “There's a lot of discourse all weekend long about the houses, the brands, the influencers... Brands come to the rescue. It’s a lot.” (Ria, 10:37)
  • Realization that Barstool never did a “Barstool House” at Coachella, and musing half-seriously about organizing one.

• Fashion Commentary: Both noticed a sameness to festival style this year—lots of neutrals, boho, and ravewear, with few true standouts. Discussion of the impracticality of staying in uncomfortable festival outfits all day.

2. Notable Performances: Justin Bieber & Sabrina Carpenter

[38:34–68:20]

• Sabrina Carpenter:

  • “She put on quite the freaking show... As another shorty, my fellow short.” (Fran, 39:06)
  • Some criticism online about song choices and outfits, but both Ria and Fran loved her set. Frustration expressed at the online tendency to criticize female pop stars’ performances and fashion.

• Justin Bieber:

  • Analysis and defense of Bieber’s stripped-down, highly nostalgic set—incorporating YouTube clips and conversational storytelling.
  • Fran: “There are few people that can get up on that stage and do what Justin Bieber did... He’s earned that right.” (41:33)
  • Ria: “He gave more than enough doing 30 second snippets of each one of those songs and also creating an intimate experience for everybody at home.” (43:09)
  • Both called out double standards around male/female festival performers, arguing Bieber was unfairly criticized for a less “spectacle-driven” approach compared to Sabrina Carpenter—who, as a newer artist, is expected to “prove herself.”
  • “Maybe us women love to put on a show? I wouldn’t want to get up there and do what Justin Bieber did.” (Fran, 51:27)
  • Notable that Bieber appeared genuinely happy and connected with superfans—eliciting strong emotional reactions from viewers (and Ria tearing up at nostalgic moments).
  • Social media reactions summarized and critiqued, with both hosts sympathetic to Bieber’s artistic choices and well-being.

• Other notable Coachella moments:

  • Crowd reactions and fan behavior (complaints about phone usage during sets, lackluster audience energy).
  • Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi allegedly making out (“Nothing has ever made more sense to me,” Fran, 59:53).
  • Kylie Jenner, Timothée Chalamet, and the “billionaire” house experience.

3. Alex Cooper vs. Alix Earle: The Influencer Beef

[16:47–37:25]

• Setting the Stage:

  • A TikTok from Alex Cooper directly called out Alix Earle, asking her to “stop hiding behind other people” and reveal the truth about their falling out:
    • “You’re gonna need to get specific and just say what you got to say about me. There’s no NDA. No one is stopping you. What’s the beef, cuz? I’m really tired...” (Cooper clip, 18:22)

• Dave Portnoy’s Analysis:

  • Explains structural complications: both women share overlapping representation (Kate Bailey as PR, Oren as agent), making business tensions inevitable.
  • “I was stunned when Alex Cooper/Unwell signed Alix Earle because Alix Earle was already gigantic at that point... I think it was kind of like, oh, the girl you’ve looked up to is interested.” (Dave Portnoy, 21:21)
  • Suspects the beef is over contracts, financial splits, or “record label” type control, rather than personal drama or jealousy.
    • “I don’t know what the contracts look like, but if it looked like a Barstool contract, for a first signing, it’s like, what is Alix Earle doing?” (22:57)
  • Both women have declined to be fully candid—Cooper’s video seen as “baiting” Earle to spill details.
  • Sympathy towards Cooper for public backlash:
    • “She’s getting trashed, and she’s been on—a, I don’t know if she cares. The bigger you get, eventually people turn on you.” (Dave, 24:30)
  • On Alex Cooper’s business acumen: “She’s a savage. She’s like a business woman, kind of boss lady savage.” (Dave, 29:20)

• Speculation on the Future:

  • Maybe Alix Earle will “save it for her reality show.”
  • Ongoing intrigue about when/if either side will address specifics.
  • If Cooper gives Dave more information, “You know I’ll say it. I don’t keep secrets.” (Dave, 31:46)

4. Pop Culture Headlines

[14:51–16:47, 73:35–78:29, 78:29–82:02, 82:03–93:13]

• Katy Perry & Ruby Rose: After a viral Katy Perry festival cameo, Ruby Rose claims on Threads she was sexually assaulted by Perry in a Melbourne club years ago. Fran, Ria, and Noah express skepticism, disgust, and uncertainty about how the story will develop.

• Britney Spears Update: Britney has voluntarily checked into rehab after a DUI incident. Consensus is that seeking help is the right step.

  • “For her to take the step to go to rehab is a great step. And we’re rooting for Brittany.” (Fran, 80:23)

• Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Wedding Rumor: Alleged “save the dates” hint at a July 3 NYC wedding, which the crew finds logistically questionable but worthy of obsessing over (“Nothing has ever seemed more wrong,” Fran, 82:03)—including elaborate speculation on potential venues and which friends would skip family funerals to attend.

• Amanda & West Situation: Amanda’s “return to normal life” Instagram statement, followed by being spotted out in New York City bars with West, gets roasted for lack of subtlety and for contradicting her prior private persona.

  • “The scarf and sunglasses situation—really cracking people up.” (100:54)
  • Both express that, while they don’t think Amanda and West should be shamed into hiding indoors, the decision to be so public at well-known bars is a “loser move.”

5. Weekly Watch Report

[103:41–142:20]

• Highlights:
  • Hacks (new season, highly recommended), Friends & Neighbors (James Marsden praised), Tournament of Champions (cooking), Euphoria (latest season universally panned: “You can tell these actors don’t want to be here,” Noah, 107:42), Chess scandal Netflix doc, Real Housewives of Rhode Island (“They bought in immediately... You got me at ‘I ran over a woman.’” Fran, 115:26), and more.
• Memorable Moment:
  • Extended riff on which life events would be worth skipping for a Taylor Swift invite, including which family deaths would qualify as excusable absences (“If Nono died and it was Taylor Swift’s wedding—he would have wanted you to go,” Noah, 87:06).
• Euphoria Season Review:
  • “That’s an F. And Zendaya’s on a totally different show than everybody else.” (Noah, 141:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On influencer houses at Coachella:

  • “They can make a whole TV show about it. There’s so much going on.” (Fran, 11:12)

• On Bieber’s unique Coachella set:

  • “For the literal child who the music industry public destroyed, to go back for 30 minutes of his 90-minute set and play the classics... while healing his inner child and showing a visual representation of that... be so for real.” (Fran, quoting GirlbossTown, 53:20)
  • “He was harmonizing with his younger self. I know, like, he was singing along with himself.” (Fran, 53:13)

• Dave Portnoy on the Alex Cooper/Alix Earle contract:

  • “If I had a gun to my head and $10 million in a bag, I would not have done that Carl’s Jr. Ad.” (Dave, 23:29)

• On the Taylor Swift wedding hypothetical:

  • “If you’re getting invited to this wedding, you’re changing absolutely everything.” (Ria, 87:43)

• On the Amanda & West situation:

  • “You just hit all the hotspots in the West Village that everyone’s gonna see... loser move on both of their parts.” (Fran, 96:12)
  • “Putting a scarf over your head and sunglasses. We see you. You're sitting next to West, who's throwing up peace signs to the camera...” (Ria, 97:43)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |--------------------------------------------|------------| | Festival & Coachella recap | 02:14 | | Coachella influencer houses & fashion | 09:37 | | Justin Bieber & Sabrina Carpenter sets | 38:34 | | Alex Cooper vs. Alix Earle beef (w/ Dave) | 16:47 | | Katy Perry/Ruby Rose controversy | 73:35 | | Britney Spears update | 78:29 | | Swift/Kelce wedding rumors | 82:03 | | Amanda & West in NYC | 93:13 | | Weekly Watch Report | 103:41 |

Tone & Style

Chicks in the Office maintains its signature conversational, witty, sometimes irreverent pop culture gossip. Ria and Fran’s rapport is light, gossipy, and envelope-pushing—a mix of eye-rolls, fandom, and skepticism, balanced by Dave Portnoy’s blunt, insider analysis.

Conclusion

This episode delivers quintessential Chicks in the Office: sharp pop-culture commentary, down-to-earth influencer and celebrity analysis, and candid humor about everything from festival angst to the woes of reality TV personalities. Whether you’re in it for the pop music discourse, the influencer drama, or to find your next binge show, this episode covers all the major pop moments—and then some.