Alex Cooper's Unwell lands $500M valuation from WTSL
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Unwell co-CEO and co-founder Alex Cooper and WTSL CEO Patrick Whitesell. Photo: Courtesy of Michela Pini, Unwell
Unwell, 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.
Why it matters: The capital supports its ambitions to grow into a broader entertainment company, even amid scrutiny of its leadership.
Zoom in: WTSL, the investment firm led by former Endeavor executive Patrick Whitesell and Jason Lublin, is making the strategic investment in Unwell.
- The amount of capital being invested was not disclosed.
- WTSL also will bring industry relationships and strategic expertise, per the press release.
Catch up quick: Whitesell founded WTSL in 2024 with Silver Lake's backing. The firm focuses on media, entertainment and sports.
- Its portfolio includes Omaha Productions, the sports and entertainment company founded by Peyton Manning.
- Other investments include Diamond Baseball Holdings, InterPositive, TMWR Sports 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," she added.
Zoom out: Cooper and Kaplan launched Unwell in 2023 under holding company Trending, combining Cooper's creator platform with Kaplan's Hollywood production infrastructure through ACE Entertainment, whose credits include Netflix's "To All the Boys" franchise and its TV spinoff "XO, Kitty."
- Unwell's podcast network now hosts more than a dozen shows and partners with SiriusXM. The company produces film and TV shows, hosts live events and runs a creative agency.
- Unwell also sells consumer products, including hydration and energy drinks.
Between the lines: The timing is notable.
- A June Vanity Fair investigation, based on interviews with more than 40 sources, including current and former Unwell employees, detailed allegations of a toxic workplace and volatile behavior by Kaplan.
- Cooper has disputed the allegations. "I think, unfortunately, being a woman in this industry is extremely difficult because you're held to a complete different standard," she told the Wall Street Journal.
- Cooper also has been caught up 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.
What's next: Cooper said WTSL's investment will help accelerate Unwell's growth through acquisitions and investments.
