The Complete Transformation Of Alex Cooper

If you haven't heard of Alexandra Cooper, known more commonly as Alex, you've been living under a rock — or you simply haven't been exploring podcasts enough. The Pennsylvania native and Boston University alum is one of the biggest podcasters in the world, and her iconic show, "Call Her Daddy," has approximately 5 million weekly listeners. But just how did she get there? "I've built my brand off of just being honest and authentic," Cooper told Harper's Bazaar earlier this year, making it easy to see why people are so drawn to her show.

From her early work as a co-host to entirely revamping "Call Her Daddy" as a solo host, Cooper has proven that when she sets her mind on something, it's not a question of whether it will happen but of when. And while we can't wait to see just what Cooper does with her brand in the future, we also admire the long way she's come over the years. Here's how Cooper grew to be the uncensored voice of an entire generation of women.

Alex Cooper launched the "Call Her Daddy" podcast with Sofia Franklyn in 2018, and Barstool Sports quickly acquired it. As a soccer player, getting a podcast noticed by Barstool Sports was a major deal for Cooper. Those who didn't listen to the podcast back then might not be aware of how sex-centered it was, and while the show was a major hit thanks to its uncensored content, Cooper ended up getting "bored" of it. "People will tell me they miss the old 'Call Her Daddy,' but that show was dying," she told the Los Angeles Times in 2022. "We were getting lower numbers than we'd ever gotten. It was like, 'How many times can we talk about sex?' I was getting a little bit bored."

At the time, Cooper was dating baseball player Noah Syndergaard, who helped her kick her career off. Cooper admitted to Bustle that she got her job at the magazine Gotham thanks to Syndergaard, after which she decided to launch a podcast. "I basically got that job because of him, and I have no shame saying that," Cooper told the outlet. As far as her style goes, Cooper followed all the cool-girl trends of the time, bodycon dresses and Instagram brows included.

In 2019, Cooper began going to therapy, something she admitted contradicted the image she was portraying to her listeners. "The character that I built was this woman that was like, 'I don't give a f*** about my feelings,'" Cooper later told Rolling Stone in 2023. "That was very taboo for the brand for me to come out and say [I was in therapy]."

In March 2020, "Call Her Daddy" went on a hiatus, and while some may have initially thought the reason was COVID-19-related, it turned out that the co-hosts were parting ways. Cooper released episodes of the podcast without Sofia Franklyn for the rest of the year, and the show's format also underwent changes, leaning more toward interviews. In fact, Cooper chose to use the public drama as a chance to rebrand the podcast. "I don't know if you guys, the listeners, would accept the side of me about my education, about the way I was raised, about my friends outside of my co-host, and the family I have," Cooper said during her first episode sans Franklyn. The podcaster also admitted that having sex as the main topic was exhausting, saying, "It was too forced. We felt like we had to have a sex topic every f - - king week." 

When it comes to her personal life, Cooper met Matt Kaplan, the CEO of Ace Entertainment, through Zoom that year, and she introduced him on her podcast as Mr. Sexy Zoom Man. "I get into the car, we lock eyes," Cooper said in an episode of her podcast. "You know those people you meet immediately that it's just like you feel like you've known each other for so long? We immediately vibed, and it was just like we're going to get along so well."

Finally, Cooper's fashion during this time was pretty understated. When out and about, she was seen wearing face masks because of the pandemic, and she was often seen in hoodies and other casual garments. Sartorially, it was a laid-back year for the budding star. 

The year 2021 marked a major turning point for Alex Cooper's career, as "Call Her Daddy" was acquired by Spotify in a deal worth $60 million. Cooper gushed about the change by saying, "From its start three years ago, the show has always been about challenging the status quo and manifesting conversations that previously only happened behind closed doors" (via Variety).

With the Spotify deal, Cooper was ready to take her status as a podcaster even further. "I want to be the biggest podcaster in the world. I've got this great big deal now. I want to prove to the world that I am worth this," she told TIME Magazine in 2021. With the rise in popularity, Cooper, who is known as the Founding Father among her fans, also worked on her style, leaning into the clean girl aesthetic. Neutral colors and classic cuts were her fashion staples, and gone were the days of dramatic eyebrows, as Cooper mostly rocked no-makeup makeup looks with soft brows.

With the rebranded podcast, Alex Cooper found herself interviewing some of the world's biggest stars — and asking them very private questions. "One week I'll have a comedian on, and the next I'll have someone who talks about their childhood trauma," she told Elle, adding that she avoids listening to other podcasts to help her maintain her unique voice. 

To The Hollywood Reporter, Cooper admitted that she was ready to elevate her podcast by talking about a variety of important topics: "If season one was about me getting comfortable being uncomfortable, season two is that plus me getting my audience to be a little uncomfortable." For instance, the podcaster used her fame to spotlight what the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade meant for women across the country. "I am a white woman of privilege living in Los Angeles, California, and I think I do know a lot of my listeners relate more to me than maybe what I'm showing in this documentary," she said. "And that's why it's so important for me to show this, because this should affect every single woman in America and it is eventually going to." Even though a majority of her content still revolved around celebrities and sex, it was clear that Cooper wasn't afraid to use her voice for things that mattered to her. 

Naturally, as her podcast became bolder, so did Cooper's style. The star continued rocking her signature clean beauty look, but she also began experimenting with red-carpet gowns and edgy ensembles. One of our favorite fashion moments from this period is the floral mesh Zac Posen gown she wore to the Baby2Baby Gala, as it was the perfect mix of delicate and modern.

In 2023, Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan got engaged, though the podcaster admitted that marriage wasn't always on her to-do list. "Matt and I had talked about having kids together, but I was always unsure if marriage was something that I wanted. Growing up, I never wanted to conform to something that society is telling us," Cooper told W Magazine that year. "A lot of people settle, and I refuse to do that. But with Matt, it immediately was obvious to me, once our relationship progressed to the point that it was time, that yes, I would love to marry him."

Just like her personal life, Cooper's career also flourished, as she launched the podcast network The Unwell Network, which signed fellow influencer Alix Earle. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Cooper admitted that a big portion of her success is thanks to her natural ability to communicate. "In my conversations with my guests, you are always going to feel comfy-cozy," she said. "That's where my personal skills as a human come in. I can literally talk to an acorn outside. I can talk to anyone." As a now well-known name in the industry, Cooper's style became even more sophisticated and classy, gravitating toward basic and timeless pieces, especially when going out. Strappy heels and black mini-dresses seemed to be staples in her closet, but she always managed to ensure her outfit wasn't boring. 

Today, Alex Cooper is known as one of the most famous voices in the podcast industry, and for good reason. She's unapologetically herself, she doesn't allow others' opinions to shape her, and she's managed to create a safe space where even some of the most private celebrities open up, from millennial icon Christina Aguilera to Gen-Z star Hunter Schafer.

This April, Cooper tied the knot with Matt Kaplan in a stunning ceremony in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Prior to the wedding, Cooper starred in a bridal campaign for Kim Kardashian's SKIMS, adding modeling to her work portfolio. However, speaking to Harper's Bazaar, Cooper admitted that seeing the photos for the first time caught her off guard. "It's just so upsetting as women how we pick ourselves apart. For the campaign, I saw these photos, and the first thing I'm checking is how does my stomach look, and how does my body look," she explained to the outlet. "I think it's important to just be honest that the minute I saw the photos–as incredible as they are–that was my first thought. ... We should just be nicer and kinder to ourselves. I'm still working on body image and I know that that is sadly what most women go through." If you ask us, it's precisely this honesty and authenticity that has gained her such a massive fan base.