Alex Cooper is responding publicly after recent reports raised questions about the workplace culture at her media company, Unwell Network.
The Call Her Daddy creator addressed the allegations during a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, offering her first extensive comments since reports published earlier this month alleged that employees had experienced a “toxic work environment.”
The claims first surfaced in a Vanity Fair report that cited more than 40 current and former employees connected to Unwell. The story detailed allegations surrounding the company’s internal culture, prompting widespread discussion across social media and the podcasting industry.
Asked directly about the accusations at the beginning of her Wall Street Journal interview, Cooper defended the company she helped build while urging people to be cautious about believing everything they read online.
“I will say that building a startup, there is so much growth that comes with that, and I am extremely proud of what we have built at Unwell. I will just kind of leave it at ‘don’t believe everything that you read on the Internet,’ but I think everyone knows that at this point,” Alex said in response.
Cooper acknowledged that rapidly growing a business comes with challenges but maintained that she remains proud of the environment her team has created.
She went on to say that many employees enjoy working at the company and suggested that public scrutiny can sometimes be amplified because of the expectations placed on women in leadership positions.
“I think that we have done a really incredible job at Unwell, and I think if you walk the halls, there are so many people that are so happy to work at this company. I think, unfortunately, being a woman in this industry is extremely difficult because you’re held to a complete different standard. Whether it’s a smear campaign being created for someone’s narrative, whatever it be,” she continued.
The podcast host also reflected on the emotional toll of reading negative claims about herself, explaining that she has developed resilience throughout her career but still finds the experience challenging.
“I think when you read lies about yourself to fuel something else that is an obvious situation going on, it’s hard, but I think the reason that I’ve had success in this industry is I have really thick skin, and I’m going to keep pushing forward.”
The interview marks Cooper’s clearest response yet to the controversy, which has generated significant attention online as Unwell continues expanding its podcast and creator roster.
The scrutiny hasn’t been limited to a single publication. In addition to the Vanity Fair report, Bloomberg News recently published its own investigation that included allegations surrounding Trending, the company founded by Cooper and her husband, Matt Kaplan. Trending serves as the parent company behind both the Unwell Network and Cooper’s massively successful Call Her Daddy podcast.
Neither report has slowed public interest in Cooper’s growing media empire, which has become one of the most influential creator-led podcast networks in recent years.
The timing of the allegations also coincides with another headline-making story involving Cooper.
In recent weeks, social media users have closely followed an apparent feud between Cooper and influencer Alix Earle, with fans speculating about the status of their professional relationship after several public developments sparked online discussion.
While the speculation has fuelled countless posts across TikTok, Instagram and X, Earle recently downplayed the narrative during a separate interview.
Asked about the reported tension, she brushed off the situation and described it as “exaggerated.”
Neither Cooper nor Earle has publicly elaborated further on the matter, leaving much of the online conversation driven by fan theories and speculation.
