Alex Cooper, tiktokerica i voditeljica iznimno popularnog podcasta Call Her Daddy, iznijela je ozbiljne optužbe na račun bivše sveučilišne trenerice Nancy Feldman, tvrdeći da ju je seksualno uznemiravala tijekom tri godine koje je provela igrajući nogomet za sveučilište Boston.
U dvodijelnom dokumentarcu Call Her Alex, koji je premijerno prikazan na festivalu Tribeca, a potom emitiran na Huluu, Cooper govori kako je Feldman komentirala njezino tijelo i seksualni život, ponašala se kontrolirajuće i fizički je neprimjereno dodirivala.
@fathercooper Since my documentary has been released it has become public that I was sexually harassed for three years by Nancy Feldman, my college soccer coach at Boston University. Nancy Feldman was someone I trusted. Someone I believed in. Someone who was supposed to help me grow. Someone who was supposed to protect me. But instead she made my life a living hell and abused her power over me. She stripped me of my identity and took away what I had worked my entire life for because she didn’t control herself. This defined my life for a decade and impacted her life 0%. I reported the abuse to the athletic director, Drew Marachello, and I was turned away and ignored. There was no accountability, no investigation, and no justice. So when I found out the harassment and abuse was STILL happening on that campus today - 10 years later by Nancy Feldman’s successor and my former assistant coach, I knew I needed to share my story. This is no longer just about me, this is systemic. When this initially happened to me I felt like I had no voice. But that is no longer the case. Now I’m coming for all of you who abused your power over innocent young individuals. Nancy Feldman, you will no longer be able to hide in the shadows and get away unscathed from the calculated pain you caused me and so many other women. To anyone who has also experienced what I have and been ignored… I am with you and this is DAY ONE of changing the system, flipping the script and finding justice. We will no longer be silenced. I’m ready to bulldoze through every fucking door for all of you out there. Because when I was 18 years old, dismissed and ignored by Boston University, I prayed and wished someone with a voice would have held my hand and helped me through the darkest time in my life. Daddy Gang, I got you. Stay tuned❤️
♬ original sound - Alexandra Cooper
"Nancy Feldman bila je osoba kojoj sam vjerovala. Osoba za koju sam vjerovala da će mi pomoći da rastem. Osoba koja me trebala štititi", napisala je Cooper u objavi na Instagramu. "Umjesto toga, napravila mi je pakao od života i zlorabila svoju moć nada mnom."
Cooper tvrdi da je zlostavljanje prijavila sportskom direktoru sveučilišta Drewu Marrochellu, no on, prema njezinim riječima, nije ništa poduzeo.
Bostonsko sveučilište odgovorilo je na navode priopćenjem: "Sveučilište ima politiku nulte tolerancije na seksualno uznemiravanje. Imamo razvijen sustav podrške, izvještavanja i osoblja posvećenog dobrobiti studenata."
U intervjuu za Boston Globe, Cooper je ispričala da ju je trenerica, nakon što su neke suigračice oboljele od mononukleoze, jedinu pozvala u ured i pitala s kim je bila. Tvrdi da se tada obratila pomoćnoj trenerici Casey Brown za pomoć, no nije dobila podršku. Brown je u izjavi za medije rekla da se tog događaja ne sjeća, ali tvrdi da nikada ne bi ignorirala igračicu koja joj se obrati.
Dokumentarac je isprva trebao prikazati zakulisne trenutke njezine Unwell turneje iz 2023., ali je posjet sveučilišnom stadionu pokrenuo lavinu emocija.
"U trenutku kada sam kročila na teren, osjetila sam se malenom. Kao da mi je opet 18 godina, potpuno nemoćna, bez glasa", rekla je Cooper u posebnoj epizodi podcasta nazvanoj My College Soccer Trauma.
Ističe da je sve kulminiralo kad je saznala da i druge žene imaju slična iskustva s Feldman: "Ako se i ja, kao žena s moći i platformom, bojim govoriti o vlastitom iskustvu seksualnog uznemiravanja, kako će se onda bilo koja druga žena osjećati sigurno da istupi?"
Od emitiranja dokumentarca, još žena javno je progovorilo o Feldman, uključujući TikTok korisnicu @sizzlinghotsarah, koja tvrdi da ju je trenerica zlostavljala zbog njezine seksualnosti. Cooper joj je javno odgovorila: "Zgrožena sam. Žao mi je. Javljam ti se privatno."
Feldman je otišla u mirovinu 2022., ali Cooper tvrdi da se zlostavljanje nastavilo i pod njezinom nasljednicom.
Osim optužbi, Call Her Alex donosi i priču o Cooperinom usponu do statusa jedne od najutjecajnijih svjetskih podcasterica. U dokumentarcu se pojavljuju bivša suvoditeljica Sofia Franklyn, suprug Matt Kaplan, producentica Lauren McMullen i osnivač Barstool Sportsa Dave Portnoy.
@fathercooper I can’t even believe I’m typing this right now… my docuseries CALL HER ALEX will be premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 😭❤️ What started as a project documenting the Unwell Tour in 2023 has grown into something so much bigger than I could have ever imagined and I cannot wait to share it with you. The little girl who got picked on for sitting in video editing classes is truly shaking. It’s such an honor to be a part of the 2025 TFF - if you will be in NYC tickets are available for purchase now! If not, get ready to stream it on Hulu on June 10th :’)
♬ original sound - kyra
Alex Cooper je 2023. pokrenula vlastitu mrežu podcasta Unwell, a u kolovozu 2024. potpisala je ugovor sa SiriusXM-om vrijedan 125 milijuna dolara.