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Dave Portnoy eviscerates Sofia Franklyn in withering takedown, accuses her of masterminding sexual misconduct claims against him
Dave Portnoy has renewed his criticism of former colleague Sofia Franklyn, saying he has no relationship with her and accusing her of directing a woman who made allegations against him to Business Insider. His comments, made on “The Toast” podcast, follow the release of Franklyn’s memoir, which discusses her past feud with Alex Cooper and her account of the allegations.
Business Insider published reports in November 2021 and February 2022 in which multiple women accused Portnoy of violent sexual conduct and filming encounters; Portnoy denied the allegations, saying the encounters were consensual. He sued the publication for defamation, but the case was dismissed. Portnoy says Franklyn solicited information about him on Instagram while they were at odds; the article also recounts a woman saying Franklyn helped her approach Business Insider. Franklyn and Cooper co-hosted “Call Her Daddy” until their 2020 split over contract negotiations.
In short
- Portnoy accused Franklyn of directing a woman to Business Insider.
- He denied the allegations in reports published in 2021 and 2022.
- His defamation lawsuit against the publication was dismissed.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Portnoy’s account may be seen as a legitimate response to claims that Franklyn helped bring allegations against him to Business Insider, particularly if he believes she solicited information while they were in conflict. His supporters could argue that scrutiny of how the allegations were gathered and publicised is fair, while recognising that the allegations themselves were denied and the defamation case was dismissed.
The case against
Franklyn’s alleged role in connecting a source with a news outlet would not, by itself, show that the underlying allegations were fabricated or that she masterminded them. Her supporters could argue that people with relevant information should be able to approach journalists, and that Portnoy’s personal accusations do not settle the merits of the reporting or the women’s accounts.