Alex Cooper's Unwell receives investment from Patrick Whitesell's firm at $500 million valuation. This is the first outside investment taken by the company, which includes the breakout podcast 'Call Her Daddy.' August 12, 2026 3:30am WTSL, the Silver Lake-backed firm led by Patrick Whitesell, has made a strategic investment in Alex Cooper's Unwell media company. The exact figure was not disclosed, but the funding values the business, which includes Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast and other media, at $500 million. The plan is to use the investment to grow the company, including through acquisition. "Trust has become the ultimate distribution channel and seventy million women a month tune-into Unwell," Cooper said. "We're scaling on all fronts, combining nimbleness, social-first premium content, and our understanding of culture to serve this highly influential audience. With WTSL's backing, the company is now also poised to accelerate our media platform's growth through acquisitions and investments." WTSL, which is led by Whitesell and Jason Lublin with clients including Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions, will also lend expertise and industry relationships. This is the first outside investment the company has taken, a person familiar with the matter tells The Hollywood Reporter. Unwell has been profitable for the past three years since it launched, this source says. "Alex, Matt, and the team have demonstrated an exceptional ability to anticipate where audiences are headed and create entertainment experiences that resonate deeply," Whitesell said. "The company's growth, audience connection, and cultural relevance set it apart, and we believe Unwell is uniquely positioned to help define the present and future of media." Cooper founded Unwell with her husband, Matt Kaplan in 2023. In addition to Cooper's top-charting show and several other podcasts, including Madeline Argy's Pretty Lonesome, the company includes branded merchandise and beverages, live events and a film and TV production arm that includes projects such as the documentary Call Her Alex, dating reality series Love Overboard and Let's Marry Harry, and the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. All ventures are focused on a Gen Z audience. Unwell has also struck a number of partnerships, including a multiyear creative and media partnership with Google, which also coincided with the launch of the company's own advertising agency, The Unwell Creative Agency. Cooper also struck a $125 million deal with SiriusXM for Call Her Daddy and her podcast network. The company has met some controversy recently, after Bloomberg and Vanity Fair both reported claims about staff turnover and uneasiness among the staff. You May Like

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Dakota Mortensen and Demi Engemann to reunite on new reality show. March 30, 2026 Alex Cooper's new show is preparing to bring reality TV's most "polarizing" competitors together. On Monday, March 30, Unwell announced the cast for a brand-new reality series, titled Unwell Winter Games. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Dakota Mortensen will reunite with former costar Demi Engemann during four days of intense mental and physical challenges. "The four-episode series brings together 16 of the most polarizing figures in pop culture to compete in a series of mental and physical challenges over four days, filmed against the backdrop of a luxury chalet in Park City, Utah," the show's official description reads. "The show promises fierce competition, unexpected alliances, and the kind of unfiltered drama that has defined Unwell across its programming slate." Dakota and Demi's casting comes as MomTok continues to face countless headlines for a variety of scandals. For starters, ABC recently announced that Dakota's ex, Taylor Frankie Paul, will not have her season of The Bachelorette air amid allegations of another domestic violence dispute with her ex. "Taylor is very grateful for ABC's support as she prioritizes her family's safety and security," a rep for Taylor said in a statement to Us Weekly on March 19. "She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support and preparing to own and share her story." (Taylor was previously arrested in February 2023 and charged with assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child after she physically abused Dakota, hitting and throwing chairs at him while in the presence of her daughter. She subsequently pleaded guilty to an aggravated assault charge in exchange for the other charges to be dropped.) More drama erupted when Jordan Ngatikaura filed for divorce from Jessi Draper after five years of marriage. To top it all off, Jessi was recently spotted kissing costar Miranda Hope's ex-husband, Chase McWhorter. (Currently, Hulu cameras are not filming the cast as they determine Taylor's future on the show.) Dakota and Demi aren't the only reality stars who will likely make a splash on Unwell Winter Games. Love Island USA star Huda Mustafa and former Dancing With the Stars contestant Anna Delvey have signed up for the new show alongside Siesta Key's Juliette Porter, Love Island alums Ekin Su Cülcüloğlu and Eyal Booker and Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko. The show wouldn't be complete without some Bachelor Nation representation - Bachelor in Paradise couple Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt are set to compete in the unpredictable series. Deal of the day. Unwell Winter Games is part of Unwell's expanding programming, including Love Overboard, currently streaming on Hulu, and the upcoming Let's Marry Harry on Netflix. While Cooper will produce Unwell Winter Games, comedy creator Adam W. will serve as host while Graydon Cutler and Grace O'Malley will provide colorful commentary. Unwell Winter Games air exclusively on Unwell's YouTube documentary starting Monday, April 6. Just For You