Alex Cooper's Unwell scores first investment at $500M valuation
What's the deal? UnwellDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the media company co-founded by "Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan, has secured its first investment at a $500 million pre-money valuation. WTSLDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the firm led by former Endeavor executive Patrick Whitesell and Jason Lublin, led the round. The amount invested was not disclosed.
What's the endgame? The capital supports Unwell's push to grow into a broader entertainment company through acquisitions and investments. WTSL will also bring industry relationships and strategic expertise, per the release.
Catch up quick: Cooper and Kaplan launched Unwell in 2023 under holding company TrendingDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, pairing Cooper's creator platform with Kaplan's Hollywood production infrastructure via ACE EntertainmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, whose credits include Netflix's "To All the Boys" franchise. The podcast network now hosts more than a dozen shows and partners with SiriusXMDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Unwell also produces film and TV, hosts live events, runs a creative agency, and sells consumer products including hydration and energy drinks.
The investor: Whitesell founded WTSL in 2024 with Silver LakeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s backing, focusing on media, entertainment, and sports. Its portfolio includes Omaha ProductionsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the company founded by Peyton Manning, plus Diamond Baseball HoldingsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, InterPositiveDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, TMWR SportsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and League One Volleyball.
What they're saying: "Trust has become the ultimate distribution channel and seventy million women a month tune-into Unwell," Cooper said in a statement. "We're scaling on all fronts, combining nimbleness, social-first premium content, and our understanding of culture to serve this highly influential audience."
What could go wrong? The timing is notable. A June Vanity Fair investigation, based on interviews with more than 40 sources, detailed allegations of a toxic workplace and volatile behavior by Kaplan. Cooper has disputed the claims, telling the Wall Street Journal that "being a woman in this industry is extremely difficult because you're held to a complete different standard."
Cooper has also been caught in a public dispute with influencer Alix Earle, whose "Hot Mess" podcast left Unwell's network in 2025. Cooper said Earle is fueling "fake drama"; Earle has not publicly shared the reasons for the split.
The signal: The deal marks a bet that a creator-led media brand can scale into a full entertainment company. For WTSL, it extends a strategy of backing talent-driven ventures — even as scrutiny of Unwell's leadership tests that thesis.
Image credit: Kristin Hardwick
Read more: Axios
