A few months ago, podcast host and entrepreneur Alex Cooper let it slip that she was in the midst of filming a Hulu docuseries titled Call Her Alex. The show would be a raw and unfiltered peak into the Call Her Daddy host’s explosive trajectory from college sports star to media titan. Now, shortly following the two-part docuseries’ premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, one particular moment stands out as an incredibly moving and vulnerable scar in Cooper’s past.

During the show, cameras follow Cooper as she takes a trip to Boston University, her alma mater—where she studied from 2013 to 2017. It was there that the now 30-year-old played on the school’s Division One women’s soccer team for three seasons. Cooper didn’t play soccer her senior year.

Tearing up while walking around the soccer field, Cooper alleged that she had experienced sexual harassment during her time at Boston University, at the hands of her soccer coach, Nancy Feldman.

“When I look back at that time in my life, I was scared, hopeless. I had no resources and no options, and the minute I left that campus I was so determined to find a way where no one could ever silence me again. I felt a lot of anger—anger at my coach, anger at my school, and anger at the system that allowed this to happen,” Cooper stated.

The podcaster then went into further detail about the alleged harassment: “I don’t think anyone could’ve prepared me for the lasting effects that came from this experience. She turned something that I loved so much into something extremely painful.”

According to Cooper, at that point in her sports career, she was “determined to make a name for myself in that field.”

 

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“So when my coach started to pay extra attention to me, I figured it was probably because I was playing well. My sophomore year, everything really shifted. I started to notice her really starting to fixate on me way more than any other teammate of mine. And it was confusing because the focus wasn’t like, ‘You’re doing so well. Let’s get you on the field. You’re going to be a starter.’ It was all based in her wanting to know who I was dating, her making comments about my body, and her always wanting to be alone with me.”

Feldman would regularly pinpoint one of Cooper’s body parts and fixate on it, causing extreme discomfort and definitely crossing a multitude of professional and personal boundaries.

Moreover, the Call Her Daddy host alleged that her coach would pull her in close or sit next to her on a couch and touch her thigh. Cooper felt as though she had no choice but to comply with the behaviour due to the fact that she was studying on a soccer scholarship.

Cooper did ultimately raise these issues with her parents, who contacted lawyers to discuss next steps. However, the lawyers warned Cooper that the university would likely drag out a case for years. 

Unsurprisingly, it’s disappointing yet important to note that Boston University athletics officials also allegedly did not take action after Cooper and her parents provided lengthy written documentation of Feldman’s inappropriate interactions, as reported by People.

After the docuseries premiered, Cooper took to the Tribeca Film Festival stage to conduct a Q&A session. When asked why she decided to come forward with these allegations now, the presenter noted: “Speaking about it has almost allowed me to get one step closer to reclaiming this thing that has felt like a dark cloud over my life.”

Cooper has built an impressive media empire, now widely recognised as the most successful and popular female podcasters in the world. She’s facilitated important conversations and established herself as a force to be reckoned with. And the fact that she’s continuing to use her platform to spotlight important and difficult issues proves she is fully deserving of all the future accolades she’s likely to receive.