Alex Cooper Denies Toxic Workplace Claims, Blasts Reports as ‘Smear Campaign’

Podcast host Alex Cooper is firing back at allegations that her media company, Unwell Network, has a toxic workplace culture, calling the recent reports a coordinated attack against her.

Cooper made the comments while speaking with Wall Street Journal editor Suzanne Vranica at the Cannes Lions Festival in France this week. The Call Her Daddy host pushed back against investigations questioning the work environment at Unwell and the behavior of her husband and business partner, Matt Kaplan. She argued that she’s being held to a higher standard simply because she’s a woman running a fast-growing media company.

The controversy centers on articles from Vanity Fair and Bloomberg that included accounts from current and former employees alleging that Kaplan engaged in inappropriate behavior at work. According to those reports, employees described verbal outbursts, comments about their personal lives, and what some characterized as an intimidating atmosphere.

Cooper flatly rejected the accusations, defending both her company and its culture. She insists that most of her employees are happy to work at Unwell and pointed to the company’s continued growth despite the negative headlines. The allegations haven’t hurt the business’s relationships with advertisers or brand partners, she said.

Cooper also suggested that women in leadership positions face tougher scrutiny than their male counterparts. She contends that the criticism leveled at her company reflects broader bias in business, particularly when female founders experience rapid success.

The allegations against Unwell emerged after months of reports detailing staff problems and employee departures. Earlier investigations cited complaints from former workers and contractors who described difficult conditions and management issues, with some specifically addressing Kaplan’s behavior on set and with staff.

Despite the backlash, Cooper says she’s not slowing down. The Unwell Network has signed several new creators and podcasts aimed at younger audiences, and she maintains the company is on an upward trajectory.

This marks Cooper’s most forceful denial yet as the debate over workplace culture at one of podcasting’s fastest-rising media companies continues. While critics point to former employee accounts, Cooper maintains those voices don’t represent the experience of most of her team.