Alex Cooper is opening up about why she decided to speak out about the alleged sexual harassment she experienced in college.
“When I really knew that I needed to speak about this because it’s so much bigger than me was during the filming of this documentary,” Cooper, 30, shared at the Call Her Alex premiere screening during the 2025 Tribeca Festival on Sunday, June 8. “I found out that the harassment and abuse of power is still happening on the campus of Boston University.”
In her new docuseries Call Her Alex — premiering Tuesday, June 10, on Hulu — Cooper alleged she was sexually harassed by her former college soccer coach Nancy Feldman.
The “Call Her Daddy” podcast host played for the women’s college soccer team between 2013 and 2015, graduating from Boston University in 2017. Feldman retired from the college’s athletic department in 2022 after 27 years of coaching. Us Weekly has reached out to Boston University, Boston University Department of Athletics and Feldman for comment about the allegations.
Us reached out to Boston University for a second time regarding claims the harassment and abuse of power is ongoing.
During her Q&A at the Tribeca Film Festival, Cooper said she spoke to another alleged victim. After having a candid conversation with the individual, Cooper realized she had to utilize her platform and speak out.
“Hearing her story was horrific, and I knew at that moment if I don’t speak about this, it’s going to continue happening,” Cooper claimed. “I’m thinking about the amount of women who’ve experienced this — not just on that campus, but on a larger scale. This isn’t just happening on college campuses for soccer. This is everywhere. This is systemic, and so I knew it was time to speak about it.”
Ry Russo-Young and Alex Cooper Rob Kim/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
While Cooper is used to millions of people listening to her podcasts or following her on social media, speaking out about her alleged experience has her “still terrified.”
As for why she didn’t speak out sooner, Cooper claimed it was partly because the person who allegedly “abused their power over me and harassed me is a woman.”
“I really struggled with that for a really long time because I didn’t want it coming out to undermine everything I stand for,” she said. “F*** the patriarchy. F*** misogyny. Will this take away from the message? And I now know it doesn’t.”
Cooper added, “I’m just happy I got that out there but I still feel anxious.”
At one point in the documentary, Cooper travels back to Boston University and visits the soccer field on which she once played many games. Cameras rolled as she began to cry and reflect on her college experience.
“I don’t think anyone could have prepared me for the lasting effects that came from this experience,” Cooper shared. “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 determined to find a way where no one could ever silence me again.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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