Alex Cooper Slams 'Smear Campaign' Against Unwell Network, Says She's Held to 'Different Standard' as a Woman
Alex Cooper Slams 'Smear Campaign' Against Unwell Network, Says She's Held to 'Different Standard' as a Woman
Luke ChinmanWed, June 24, 2026 at 7:42 PM UTC
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Alex CooperCredit: Mike Coppola/Getty -
Alex Cooper spoke out after a pair of bombshell reports alleging that her company has a toxic work environment
Earlier this month, Vanity Fair alleged that Cooper's husband and business partner, Matt Kaplan, 42, screamed at company staff, asked questions about their sex lives and commented on their physical appearances
The media mogul sat down with Wall Street Journal editor Suzanne Vranica at Journal House in Cannes, France, where she slammed a "smear campaign" against her
Alex Cooper is speaking out after a pair of bombshell reports alleging that her company has a toxic work environment.
On June 24, the 31-year-old media mogul sat down with Wall Street Journal editor Suzanne Vranica at Journal House in Cannes, France, for a 30-minute conversation about her media company Unwell.
At the start of the discussion, Vranica asked Cooper to address allegations that Unwell "fosters a toxic work environment" — referencing a report published in Vanity Fair earlier this month alleging that Cooper's husband and business partner, Matt Kaplan, 42, screamed at company staff, asked questions about their sex lives and commented on their physical appearances. (The report cited "over 40 sources, including current and former Unwell employees.")
"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," responded Cooper. "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 Cooper and Matt KaplanCredit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty
"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," continued the internet personality. "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."
Concluded Cooper: "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."
In April, Bloomberg News also published a report alleging that Kaplan — who runs the umbrella company Trending alongside Cooper — "frequently" yells at staff members, citing "people familiar with the company's operations." (Trending houses Cooper's Unwell Network, which includes her hit podcast Call Her Daddy.)
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Reps for Cooper and Kaplan have not commented to PEOPLE on the allegations made in either report.
Alex CooperCredit: Vivien Killilea/Getty
After Cooper addressed the allegations against Unwell, Vranica asked if the claims had made it more difficult to work with brands, to which the influencer said it had not.
"I feel like I have never been busier," Cooper told Vranica.
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Amid allegations against her company, Cooper revealed in May that she was expecting her first child with Kaplan, to whom she wed in April 2024. At the time of the pregnancy announcement, sources close to the couple told PEOPLE that any "rumors of tension" in Cooper's marriage to Kaplan were "false."
"They're so excited about this new chapter," the sources added at the time. "They've tried to hold out as long as they could before announcing."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
