Alex Cooper’s Glamorous Empire Hides A Messy Past Few Know About

Alex Cooper might look like she’s living a perfect life.

The “Call Her Daddy” host now runs a growing media empire with a production company, a creative agency, and a three-year podcast deal with SiriusXM worth about $125 million.

She interviews huge names like Victoria Beckham and Kamala Harris and is one of the most successful women in podcasting. However, her rise wasn’t as simple as it looks.

Behind the fame are stories of lost friendships, business drama, and people who helped build her success in secret.

Before becoming one of the most recognized voices in podcasting, Cooper was known for sharing bold, adult-themed dating advice on “Call Her Daddy.”

She started the show in 2018 with her roommate Sofia Franklyn, and the first episode, “Sext Me So I Know It’s Real,” quickly got attention for its raw honesty and humor.

Within two months, downloads jumped from 12,000 to two million.

Their “female locker-room talk” style attracted Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who signed the pair to a contract with a $70,000 salary.

As the podcast’s popularity grew, Cooper turned it into a powerful brand.

When her Barstool Sports deal ended, she signed a $60 million contract with Spotify in 2021, followed by a three-year, $125 million deal with SiriusXM in 2024.

Alex Cooper’s success wasn’t all solo. Her childhood best friend, Laren McMullen, quietly helped her build the “Call Her Daddy” brand.

McMullen, who was studying at Columbia University, started helping behind the scenes in 2020, booking guests, preparing questions, and managing schedules.

She had planned to become a therapist, but Cooper's full-time offer made her change her mind. McMullen later revealed her role during a guest appearance on the podcast.

Recently, a source told the Daily Mail that both women are “grateful the secret is out” and no longer need to hide McMullen’s involvement.

The biggest turning point in Cooper’s career came in 2020 when she and Franklyn tried to renegotiate their contracts with Barstool Sports.

Both women reportedly wanted $1 million each per year, but Portnoy said the company could only offer $500,000 plus bonuses.

Cooper agreed to the offer, but Franklyn didn’t, and the disagreement ended their friendship and partnership.

Cooper later told listeners that she had done most of the work and accused Franklyn’s boyfriend at the time, HBO Sports executive Peter Nelson, of getting too involved in the deal.

On her part, Franklyn said she felt betrayed, claiming she found out Cooper and Portnoy had made a separate deal behind her back.

“I found out later Cooper and Portnoy 1,000% had this relationship that I wasn't aware of and not a part of. I thought Cooper was my best friend, sister, and we are not hiding anything,” she told Rolling Stone in 2023.

“There’s no way in hell I would speak to our boss without you, that would be f-cking crazy, and I don't think that went both ways.”

Fans were split, but the fallout allowed Cooper to take full control of “Call Her Daddy” and shape it into her own growing business.

After taking full control of “Call Her Daddy,” Cooper moved to Los Angeles and began dating film producer Matt Kaplan, known for the hit “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” movies.

They later married, and insiders told the Daily Mail the two have become a true “power couple.”

In 2023, Cooper and Kaplan launched Trending, a media company that owns “Call Her Daddy” and the Unwell Network, which features internet stars like Alix Earle and Madeline Argy as hosts.

The couple’s next big step came in 2024 when Cooper signed a new three-year deal with SiriusXM, reportedly worth $125 million.

Since then, the lovebirds have been focused on growing their brand.

“Their plans are just to continue to grow and grow the Call Her Daddy brand,” one insider shared. “They want to become the number one podcast and be known for having the best of the best interviews.”

Despite her massive success, not everyone loves Cooper’s interview approach.

Some fans on social media have called her questions “too scripted” or “boring,” claiming her celebrity interviews feel more like PR moments than real conversations.

However, a source close to Cooper defended her method, telling the Daily Mail, “If Alex were to become this hard*ss interviewer, then she might deplete the people coming in, which is opposite of what she’s known for.”

Cooper herself has said she never claimed to be a reporter, adding, “I have a podcast, and I happen to ask questions that go a little hard hitting sometimes.”

While some have labeled Alex Cooper a “nepo baby,” insiders say that’s far from true.

“Alex is not a nepo baby where everything has been handed to her,” one source revealed. “But the fact is, when you become the biggest woman ever in podcasting, those doors swing open.”

Born in Pennsylvania, Cooper’s dad worked for the NHL, and her mom was a school therapist.

After college, she lost her ad sales job and survived on unemployment checks, even joining Seeking Arrangements to make ends meet. Out of that struggle came the idea for "Call Her Daddy."

In just seven years, she’s gone from recording in her apartment to building a multimillion-dollar brand with global reach.

As one insider summed it up, “Their plans are to continue to grow and grow Call Her Daddy Brand.”