Devastating Details About Alex Cooper's Childhood

Trigger warning: The following article mentions sexual violence and bullying.

"Call Her Daddy" podcast host Alex Cooper is arguably one of the most influential voices of an entire generation. Case in point: Cooper's iconic euphemisms, including "blocked," "unwell," and "father," that caught on like wildfire among her listeners (aka the Daddy Gang) and spurred an entire line of merch. But don't just take our word for it. "The level of enthusiasm and buzz from listeners generated after each episode is emblematic of the magic of the podcast. Alex connects with the millennial and Gen Z generations while empowering her audience to openly express themselves," Spotify's chief content and advertising business officer Dawn Ostroff gushed in a statement about Cooper after inking a rumored $60 million deal with her.

Surprisingly, however, Cooper hasn't always been an "it girl," and it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine while she was growing up. In fact, parts of her childhood turned out to be downright devastating ...

If anyone knows a thing or two about being bullied, it's Alex Cooper. During an episode of Jay Shetty's podcast, "On Purpose," Cooper revealed that she had been "severely bullied" during her most formative years. "I was super, super skinny, people made fun of me, said that I looked like I had an eating disorder. I had awful, awful acne to the point where like I would beg my parents to let me stay home from school," she recalled.

Fortunately, however, Cooper found a way to channel all of that anguish and ultimately use it to carve out a lucrative and noteworthy profession for herself. "My escape was going into my basement and picking up a movie camera and producing a music video or a short film. I found a lot of comfort in being able to express myself and feeling not judged," she revealed to The New York Times Magazine in May 2022. "Creating content has always been a form of self-expression that has made me feel seen, that made me feel I am worthy and have something to show that I'm good at," she declared.

Sadly, however, the bullying only proved to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Cooper's devastating childhood ...

During that same candid interview with The New York Times Magazine, Alex Cooper also revealed that while playing Division 1 soccer at Boston University she suffered a "traumatic experience" at the hands of a coach. And while she wouldn't elaborate on the specifics of the encounter, noting that she still wasn't "personally healed," she was adamant that the experience ultimately made her stronger. "So, learning the tools of competitiveness, resilience, having to gain confidence in yourself. Although it was hard in the moment, that does translate to who I am today as the host of "Call Her Daddy,'" she explained. 

Sadly, however, the violation didn't end there. According to Cooper, following the incident, she was able to keep her scholarship but was not able to play soccer her senior year. "I got something I worked my entire life for stripped away because someone in a position of power couldn't control themself. And I did nothing wrong," she lamented. "What I took was the motivation of feeling like no one will ever again take something away from me just because they're title-wise above me. That ignited something in me. I felt, you know what, I'm going to exude the confidence that I know I have in myself, and this is not going to derail my goals." And perhaps now she's igniting that same fire in all of her listeners – all 5 million of them!

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).