Alex Cooper, the well-known podcaster and former Boston University soccer player, has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against her college coach, Nancy Feldman, in a new Hulu docuseries titled "Call Her Alex." The series, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 8, 2025, and released on Hulu on June 10, reveals a disturbing pattern of behavior that began during Cooper's sophomore year and escalated through her junior year.
Cooper recounts that her initially "normal relationship" with Feldman shifted when the coach started focusing intensely on her personal life rather than her athletic performance. "I started to notice her really starting to fixate on me way more than any other teammate of mine," Cooper says in the documentary. "It was confusing because the focus wasn’t like, ‘You’re doing so well. Let’s get you on the field. You’re gonna 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." This unsettling focus included Feldman making comments about Cooper's appearance and repeatedly seeking private moments with her.
Cooper’s teammate and college roommate, Alex Schlobohm, also appears in the docuseries, recalling a film session where Feldman highlighted every minute Cooper played, not for her athletic skill but for her appearance. "It was all based off of her appearance, whereas I felt like when (Feldman) made comments about other players, it was about their performance," Schlobohm said.
The harassment reportedly intensified during Cooper’s junior year. She describes a private meeting after the coach learned Cooper had been dropped off on campus by a man she was dating. "She asks me, ‘Did you have sex last night?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, what?’ She’s like, ‘I don’t know if you should be sleeping off campus.’ And I’m like, ‘All of the other girls on my team sleep off campus.’ I didn’t know what to do," Cooper recounts. Attempts to resist Feldman’s demands were met with threats of consequences, which soon followed.
One clear repercussion was Cooper’s diminished playing time during a critical NCAA tournament game. Although she was eventually put on the field and helped lead the team to victory, earning praise as the "hero" of the game, Feldman refused to acknowledge her contribution publicly. Cooper describes this as part of a "psychotic game" where her coach linked playing time to discussions about her sex life and insisted on driving her to night classes alone, creating an atmosphere of intimidation and control.
Adding to the distress, Feldman allegedly removed Schlobohm from the team at the end of their junior year without explanation. Cooper and her parents, Laurie and Bryan Cooper, confronted Boston University’s athletic administration with their allegations of sexual harassment. However, the meeting reportedly lasted only five minutes, with administrators declining to review detailed notes Cooper’s mother had taken and stating they would not terminate Feldman’s employment. Cooper recalls the moment vividly: "No investigation. Within five minutes, they had entirely dismissed everything I had been through. I got into the car with my parents, and when the door shut, I immediately broke down and I just started sobbing. I said to my parents, ‘I’m done. I don’t ever want to see this woman again.’" Following this, Cooper chose not to play soccer during her senior year and graduated in 2017.
In 2018, a year after graduating, Cooper launched the podcast "Call Her Daddy," initially with co-host Sofia Franklyn. The podcast, which evolved from a raunchy sex show to one centered on vulnerability and empowerment, has become one of the highest-rated and most lucrative shows in the industry. Cooper signed a $60 million distribution deal with Spotify in 2021, followed by a $124 million deal with SiriusXM in 2024. The podcast has featured high-profile guests, including Jane Fonda, Janelle Monáe, Christina Aguilera, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Cooper’s decision to reveal her experience a decade after leaving Boston University was prompted by "new information coming to light," including learning that other women had faced similar harassment on the same soccer field. In a short podcast episode released concurrently with the docuseries, Cooper said, "I found out that other women had stepped onto that same field and experienced the same harassment I did. I discovered that the abuse and trauma I had been subjected to at Boston University was still actively happening on that campus in 2025, a decade after I left, and I spoke directly with one of the victims." She did not disclose further details about these other alleged victims.
Cooper also shared the emotional toll of revisiting her past during the docuseries. Returning to Boston University for the first time since graduation, she broke down at Nickerson Field, realizing how much trauma she had suppressed. She expressed feelings of embarrassment and fear of retaliation, especially given the non-physical nature of the abuse and the fact that her abuser was a woman. Cooper said, "In coming forward, I was also afraid of retaliation. I also worried people would downplay or dismiss the severity of what I experienced because the abuse wasn’t physical. And with a podcast that focuses on empowering women, I felt shame, that my abuser happened to be a woman, and I was worried that sharing my story could quite literally undermine everything I stand for."
Nancy Feldman served as the head coach of Boston University’s women’s soccer team from the program’s inception in 1995 until her retirement in 2022. Drew Marrochello, who took over as the director of BU’s athletics department in 2014, was in the role during Cooper’s tenure. Neither Boston University nor Feldman has responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations, and the documentary itself does not include their responses.
The allegations have drawn significant attention, with the audience at the Tribeca Film Festival reportedly reacting with "audible gasps" during the screening. Cooper’s revelations highlight ongoing concerns about sexual harassment in collegiate sports and raise questions about institutional accountability. As Cooper’s story unfolds, it underscores the courage it takes to speak out and the importance of creating environments where athletes can feel safe and supported.
