7 most shocking reveals from the ‘Call Her Alex’ docuseries
Alex Cooper, a famous podcaster and host of Call Her Daddy, where she has interviewed some of the most influential people in the world, from the 49th Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, to zoologist Jane Goodall. Her recent two-part docuseries, directed by Ry Russo-Young, takes fans behind the scenes of her glamorous, mic-ed up world, and back to where it all began.
The series outlined her highs and lows, and some shocking revelations about her journey from a home video enthusiast to a Division I soccer player and a podcaster who signed a $60 million deal with Spotify a few years ago. Here's the rundown of what Alex's life has been like, courtesy of Call Her Alex.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer. Spoilers ahead.
Bullying, sexual assault allegations, and more shocking revelations on Call Her Alex
1) Alex was bullied in school
Before her blonde hair and extroverted persona, Alex Cooper was a thin, young girl with bright red hair. This brought on incessant bullying from the boys at her school. They ridiculed her body, calling her a skeleton, and made fun of her as a person without a soul because she was a ginger.
"I hated myself. All I wanted them to do was like me."- Alex Cooper
She explains that while she had no problem making friends with girls and having a bubbly personality at home, the bullying did take a toll on her. She developed body image issues, but hid her predicament from everyone she knew. This revelation ties back to her strong need for a purpose and to make a mark in the world on Call Her Alex.
2) Sexual assault allegations against Nancy Fieldman
Alex Cooper played Division I soccer at Boston University until her dreams came crashing down, forcing her to quit the team. In a shocking revelation, Cooper accused her coach, Nancy Feldman, of sexual harassment. As a student on a scholarship, she felt scared and obliged her coach's whims and fancies.
"It was this psychotic game of 'you want to play? Tell me about your sex life'"- Alex Cooper on Call Her Alex
The podcaster revealed that her coach's untoward attention, creepy remarks about her body, and inappropriate touches made her feel uncomfortable. She would also withhold playtime without reason. As someone who was excited to make her mark on the team, she felt her identity slipping away. Feldman also came up with ways to spend time alone with Cooper, adding to her miseries before she eventually quit.
3) She returned to her alma mater for the first time after graduating
Alex revealed another shocker on Call Her Alex about her alma mater: After countless complaints from her parents and herself to the Dean of Athletics about Coach Feldman's sexual assault, she realized that the university was going to do nothing about it. The Dean refused to fire the coach, which resulted in her quitting.
"Within five minutes, they had entirely dismissed everything I had been through."- Cooper
After her traumatic time there, she returned to Boston University on the docuseries and broke down into tears about a dream lost. She claimed she felt small and upset about how her dreams were taken away from her, with little to no support from the staff at the university.
4) Her main inspiration was her parents
From a very young age, Alex has been actively making home videos, showing off her sketches and skits to her parents, and making her close friends Lauren and Kristen join in. She made music videos, recreated scenes from iconic movies like The Devil Wears Prada, and shot in front of a green screen in her basement. She credits her early creativity and freedom to her parents.
"[My dad] had the most incredible, magical job"- Alex on her inspirations in Call Her Alex
Cooper's mom, Laurie, is a school psychologist, while her dad, Bryan, is a retired sports TV producer. Her dad introduced cameras into their five-member household, recording daily life and sports events. This inspired her to take to the camera naturally. Her mother's constant words of encouragement, as both a mom and a psychologist, gave her the boost she needed to speak her mind, according to Call Her Alex.
5) Her extended family was not supportive of her explicit content
Her parents' support continued to be unconditional, even when her content toes the line between explicit and liberating. One of her most infamous episodes, Gluck Gluck 9000, received immense backlash, especially from her more conservative community and family members.
"People were talking about it, like, 'How could she do this? She is a good kid. She was raised well'" - Laurie Cooper, Alex's mother, on Call Her Alex
But their support pushed Alex to be more open and honest on her podcast, which focused on sex positive content for women. In an interview on I Am Paris with Paris Hilton, she emphasized that she felt reassured that, amidst all the backlash from outside, she could go home to proud parents.
6) Her Unwell Tour got off to a rocky start
Things went south while Alex was preparing for her Unwell Tour, which was slated to kick off in Boston. Production woes and a burnt-out production manager, Jon Dindas, almost threatened the entire tour. This, combined with her anxiety about putting on the best show her fans had ever seen, created a tense atmosphere.
"It's very hard to say no to Alex"- Jon Dindas
But Call Her Alex also explored how she and her team got through the bump in the road, with in-depth conversations and getting back on the same page. The tour was met with success and sold-out shows across the United States.
7) Her 'awful' relationship with former co-host Sofia Franklyn
One of the biggest mysteries of Alex Cooper's life has been the abrupt end of her friendship and partnership with Call Her Daddy's ex-co-host, Sofia Franklyn. The duo started the podcast out of their New York City apartment before Sofia went her own way in 2021.
"It was the classic, 'You think you see something online and people genuinely believe you're like sisters, but our relationship was so awful.'"- Alex Cooper.
Cooper revealed in Call Her Alex that, contrary to how it appeared to others, she and Sofia weren't close friends, and had just known each other a few months before starting the podcast. When they got a three-year, $70,000 deal with Barstool Sports, Cooper reportedly wanted to level up while Franklin did not. This inevitably caused the split.
Stream all episodes of Call Her Alex on Hulu.
