Biography of Alex Cooper: The Unfiltered Voice Shaping a Generation

Alexandra “Alex” Cooper (born August 21, 1994) has grown into one of the most powerful storytellers of her generation. As the creator and host of Call Her Daddy, she forged a path from sports star to podcasting powerhouse—and then built a media empire. Along the way, she’s navigated fame, controversy, creative reinvention, and major partnerships that reshaped modern media.

Early Roots: Sports, Storytelling & Self-Belief

 

Raised in small-town Newtown, Pennsylvania, Alex grew up as the youngest of three siblings to a sports-loving family. Her father, Bryan Cooper, was a former college hockey player and sports producer . Alex showed early promise as an athlete, playing soccer at Pennington High School and then earning a **D1 scholarship to Boston University (BU).

From 2013 to 2015, she played midfield for the BU Terriers, serving as co-captain her senior year and contributing one goal and an assist across 49 games . Her passion for storytelling paralleled her athletic drive. At BU, she majored in Film and Television, teaching herself editing and audio production—skills that would later serve as the backbone for her content creation .

Enter Call Her Daddy: Raw, Real & Revolutionary

In 2018, while sharing opinions during a Texas vacation with friend Sofia Franklyn, Alex realized they had tapped into something bold: comedic, raw, “locker-room talk” about sex and relationships Perspective aligned with Barstool Sports’ spirit. Within one month of launching, Barstool purchased Call Her Daddy .

Episodes exploded in popularity downloads jumped from 12,000 to 2 million in just two months . Alex and Sofia became viral figures, and their podcast built a fiercely loyal audience known as the Daddy Gang”

High Stakes & High Drama: Creative Conflict with Barstool & Sofia

With growth came tension. In 2020, deal negotiations with Barstool Sports sparked public conflict among Alex, Sofia, and founder Dave Portnoy . Sofia exited the show, and Alex vocal and determined pushed forward solo .

She later shared:

“With the amount that I put into Call Her Daddy there was no doubt… I was going to fight… for that IP.”

Her bold move redefined the podcast’s direction and put her in full creative control.

Spotify Deal: $60M and Creative Independence

In June 2021, Alex secured a three‑year, $60 million exclusive deal with Spotifyreportedly the most lucrative ever for a female podcaster, making her Spotify’s highest‑paid ($20 million/year), second only to Joe Rogan .

Spotify offered creative freedom, enabling her to shift topics from raw sex talk to broader conversations mental health, relationships, self‑growth without losing audience steam . By 2022, Call Her Daddy averaged 5 million listeners per episode and retained a largely female audience .

Building an Empire: Trending & Unwell

In 2023, Alex and Matt Kaplan (her fiancé turned husband) launched Trending, a media company targeting Gen Z. Its subsidiary, Unwell Network, produces shows like Hot Mess and partners with voices like Alix Earle .

Rolling Stone dubbed her “Gen‑Z’s Barbara Walters” faithful commentating on trending culture, while Forbes flagged her as a future media mogul .

In late 2024, Alex expanded her brand into consumer goods. She rolled out Unwell Hydration, an electrolyte drink for women through a Nestlé partnership, available at Target and Sprouts .

Personal Life: Love, Wedding & Family Foundations

Alex began dating producer Matt Kaplan in 2020, initially calling him “Mr. Sexy Zoom Man.” They collaborated on Trending, grew their relationship, got engaged in March 2023 in a candle‑lit scavenger hunt surprise .

Their wedding took place on April 6 2024 in Riviera Maya, Mexico, officiated by Alex’s brother, with their Goldendoodles serving as ring bearers . Ahead of time, they hosted a “practice ceremony” for Matt’s 100‑year‑old grandmother .

In 2024, Alex also purchased a Los Angeles home for her parents, a symbolic gesture of gratitude spurred by her $125 million SiriusXM deal, replacing Spotify through 2027 .

In June 2025 on Call Her Daddy, Alex revealed the emotional journey she and Matt are on as they begin trying for a family, expressing vulnerability about fertility and mental health .

Call Her Alex: A Transparent Retrospective

Hulu’s 2025 docuseries Call Her Alex offers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at Alex’s life from her Division I soccer days, her traumatic past, to creating the podcast and navigating personal challenges such as wedding chaos and her relationship with Matt .

Alex remarked, “I’m only at the beginning of my creative journey,” signaling a bigger presence ahead .

 Achievements & Cultural Footprint

Call Her Daddy became Spotify’s #2 podcast globally in 2021/22 .

Secured a $60M Spotify deal (2021) and a $125M SiriusXM deal (2024) .

Named in Time100 Next (2023) and dubbed “Gen‑Z’s Barbara Walters” by Rolling Stone .

Developed a media holdings company (Trending/Unwell), published Unwell Hydration drink, and drove celebrity engagement—live sold‑out shows at Madison Square Garden .

Influence: Why Alex Cooper Matters

Alex’s voice helped open a global dialogue on female sexuality, mental health, and empowerment through candid conversation. She normalized “locker-room talk” and later evolved her platform, reshaping content to be more inclusive and emotionally authentic .

Her influence marks a shift in how women consume, produce and own media challenging male-dominated podcasting, launching new female voices, and transforming listener empathy into empire-building action.

What’s Ahead: Expansion & Empowerment

Alex’s ambitions show no bounds:

Growing Trending/Unwell into a multi-platform network.

Developing reality shows, books, and podcasts under her banner .

Expanding Unwell Hydration product lines into lifestyle brands for women.

Sharing her experiences with fertility and family-starting in real time with her community

Final Thoughts

From a small-town athlete and self-made video editor to one of the richest and most influential podcast stars in the world, Alex Cooper’s journey is extraordinary. She’s navigated creative fallout, multi-million-dollar deals, public scrutiny, industry disruption, and big personal milestones with candor, resilience, and ambition.

Alex not only shaped a cultural phenomenon with Call Her Daddy, but also transformed into a media entrepreneur, a voice for women, and a relatable figure unafraid to be vulnerable. She’s proof of the power of owning your story and using it to forge a new path.

And as she’s said, “I’m only at the beginning.”

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