Alex Cooper, host of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, has departed her agency UTA and is set to join rival Creative Artists Agency (CAA), according to multiple sources. This transition comes as Cooper's company, Unwell, has received a significant investment from WTSL, an investment firm founded by WME co-founder Patrick Whitesell.
An insider close to Cooper stated that the move to CAA is driven by a major influx of recent capital into her Unwell brand, which is expected to fuel new growth opportunities. The company is reportedly valued at $500 million and employs over 100 people. The insider emphasized that Unwell's internal efforts in partnerships, events, production, its creative agency, and the WTSL investment have all been managed in-house. This development necessitated partners who could match the company's rapidly expanding, multi-vertical infrastructure as it extends across podcasts, television, film, live events, consumer products, a foundation, and its creative agency.
The investment from WTSL, finalized several months ago, has seen Unwell spend the past 90 days developing a strategy for its next phase of growth. This strategic review included reassessing traditional talent representation.
This agency shift occurs amidst a period of mixed news for Cooper and her ventures. Unwell has recently been involved in several deals, including expanding its podcast network, producing a series adaptation of Hannah Grace's novel "Icebreaker" for Netflix, and developing a movie adaptation of the romance novel "Deep End" for the same streamer. Additionally, Unwell has partnered with Google on a micro-drama series titled "Moving On" and is producing a series adaptation of Aggie Blum Thompson's 2025 mystery novel "You Deserve to Know" for Hulu.
However, Unwell Beverages, a separate consumer product line, is reportedly ceasing operations after less than two years. Bloomberg cited sources indicating the brand would wind down this fall. This news followed increased scrutiny of Cooper's husband and business partner, Matt Kaplan.
In April, Kaplan, who co-founded Unwell with Cooper in 2023, faced allegations of creating a toxic work environment, including claims of yelling at staff and threatening their careers. Reports from Bloomberg also characterized Kaplan as having a reputation for frequently yelling at employees, with some Unwell staff reportedly seeking to leave the company.
Cooper addressed some of the negative press in a comment to The Wall Street Journal at Cannes Lions, stating, "Don’t believe everything that you read on the internet." She also defended her company, saying, "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." She added that women in the industry face different standards and can be targets of smear campaigns.
Separately, Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, alleged in his memoir "Cancel Me If You Can" that Cooper and her former "Call Her Daddy" co-host Sofia Franklyn plotted to break their Barstool contracts using fabricated sexual harassment claims. Cooper has disputed this account.
UTA previously brokered a $125 million deal with SiriusXM in 2024 for Cooper's show and represented her at the launch of Unwell in 2023. Neither UTA, CAA, nor Cooper's representatives have commented on the agency move. Cooper's departure from UTA follows that of comedian Nikki Glaser, who also recently moved to WME.