Daddy Issues: “Call Her Daddy” co-creator Sofia Franklyn reclaims her story

In 2018, Sofia Franklyn created the industry-defining podcast “Call Her Daddy” with her best friend, Alex Cooper. Two years later, their friendship imploded, with Franklyn exiting the podcast and Cooper becoming its sole host in a lucrative deal reportedly worth $60 million. Franklyn went on to launch her own podcast, “Sofia with an F,” which is now in its sixth year with millions of loyal listeners.

After years of silence, Franklyn now tells her side of the story in “Daddy Issues: A Memoir.” A raw, darkly funny account of girlhood, friendship, sexuality, agency and healing, the memoir explores ambition, betrayal and the reckoning that followed the collapse of one of the internet’s most talked-about friendships. Join us for a conversation with Franklyn about her story of reclamation and the long, brutal work of surviving yourself.

Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith and Franklyn will sign following the conversation. 

About “Daddy Issues”

Long before the internet was watching, Sofia Franklyn learned to disappear. Dysfunction was normal and escape was instinct. New York City offered reinvention, and there she met Alex Cooper. They moved quickly: roommates, best friends, business partners.

“Call Her Daddy” became a phenomenon overnight, evolving into a cultural force and transforming its hosts into avatars of a moment and then into targets. But at the height of the show’s early success, their relationship imploded.

In hindsight, the warning signs were everywhere. Secrets, omissions, things left unsaid. Millions watched as Sofia went from one half of a beloved duo to the villain in the internet’s messiest breakup. She found herself at rock bottom again, not by the familiar hands of men, but by the unexpected betrayal of another woman. What followed was a private collapse that forced a reckoning, leading Sofia to interrogate her ambition and the cost of being understood as a headline.

After years of silence, Sofia tells her side for the first time. “Daddy Issues” is not a story of revenge. It’s a testimony and a raw, darkly funny portrait of girlhood, friendship, sexuality, agency and healing. At its core, it is a story of reclamation and the long, brutal work of surviving yourself.

Ways To Save

WBUR’s Legacy Circle, Murrow Society, Sustainers and Members save $5.00 on tickets to this event. To apply the discount to your ticket purchase online, you’ll need to enter a promo code. You can get your code by emailing [email protected].

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