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At a filming session for Unwell Winter Games, a veteran crew member broke down in tears after Matt Kaplan allegedly berated the team and warned they would never work in Hollywood again if they made a mistake.
The incident, reported by Bloomberg and corroborated by multiple outlets, is the latest flashpoint in growing turmoil at Trending, the media company co-founded by Alex Cooper and her husband Matt Kaplan in 2023. Even as Cooper focuses on creative projects like her chart-topping Call Her Daddy podcast, Kaplan oversees day-to-day operations as co-CEO, a role that has reportedly become synonymous with yelling, berating staff, and fostering a culture of fear. Employees have filed formal complaints, threatened to quit, and in some cases walked off sets, citing a pattern of abusive behavior that intensified as the company expanded beyond its podcasting roots into live events and YouTube productions.
The workplace unrest comes amid a highly visible feud between Cooper and Alix Earle, whose Hot Mess podcast was quietly dropped from the Unwell Network in February 2025. Earle has since accused Cooper of poor business judgment and exploitative interviewing tactics, while Cooper fired back on TikTok, accusing Earle of spreading “fake drama” and hiding behind passive-aggressive social media posts. The public exchange has reignited speculation about a behind-the-scenes rift that neither party has fully explained, adding reputational strain to an already strained internal environment.
Despite the internal strife, Cooper’s personal brand remains commercially powerful. Call Her Daddy ranked as the fourth most popular podcast globally in 2025 per Spotify, and her 2024 $125 million multiyear deal to move the show and network to SiriusXM from Spotify underscores the financial stakes involved. Yet sources describe a growing disconnect between the company’s outward success and its internal dysfunction, with former employees telling the Status newsletter that operations often felt “chaotic” and “disorganized” as Trending struggled to scale beyond its flagship show.
Kaplan’s management style has become a central point of contention as Trending scales
Multiple sources describe Kaplan as the primary driver of day-to-day decisions at Trending, a role that has placed him in direct contact with production crews, podcast teams, and event staff. According to Bloomberg, his approach — characterized by frequent yelling, threats to blacklist employees, and public castigation — has created a climate where workers feel unsafe speaking up. One incident during Unwell Winter Games filming prompted not only tears but formal complaints and threats of mass walkouts, with crew members telling leadership they would quit if Kaplan’s behavior did not change.
This is not the first time a media founder’s spouse has faced scrutiny over workplace conduct. In 2021, the husband of a prominent lifestyle podcaster was similarly accused of creating a toxic environment at their shared production company, leading to an external investigation and leadership restructuring. While no formal investigation has been announced at Trending, the pattern of behavior described by current and former employees raises questions about accountability in founder-led companies where personal and professional boundaries blur.
Cooper has publicly defended her leadership style, telling Marie Claire in 2025 that she holds herself to high expectations and encourages autonomy, even expressing hope that former employees might one day launch competing ventures. Yet her silence on Kaplan’s alleged conduct — she did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment — contrasts sharply with her willingness to engage publicly in the feud with Earle, highlighting a potential imbalance in how she addresses internal versus external conflicts.
The Alix Earle feud reflects deeper tensions in Unwell’s talent retention
Earle’s departure from the Unwell Network in early 2025 was initially unexplained, fueling speculation that it was tied to creative differences or contractual disputes. Her later comments to the Wall Street Journal — describing the exit as “behind the scenes, a little bit of a hot mess” — suggested interpersonal friction, a narrative she has since amplified by reposting critiques of Cooper’s interviewing style and business acumen. Cooper’s April 13 TikTok rebuttal, in which she challenged Earle to “just say what you’ve got to say about me,” turned a private disagreement into a public spectacle, drawing attention away from workplace concerns and toward creator rivalries.
Insiders note that Unwell has struggled to retain talent beyond its flagship show, with several new podcasts failing to gain traction and a steady churn of both staff and creators described as a “revolving door.” The Earle situation exemplifies this challenge: despite being one of the first high-profile additions to the network in 2023, her exit was never formally addressed, leaving room for speculation and reputational damage. Now, as the public feud plays out alongside allegations of internal abuse, the company faces pressure on two fronts — maintaining audience trust while stabilizing its internal operations.
Trending’s expansion has outpaced its ability to manage workplace culture
Since its founding in 2023, Trending has grown from a podcast network into a multifaceted media company encompassing ACE Entertainment, live events, and YouTube productions like Unwell Winter Games. This rapid scaling has coincided with increased staffing and, according to sources, a breakdown in communication and managerial oversight. Employees describe an environment where growth is prioritized over process, leading to confusion, last-minute changes, and a lack of clear channels for reporting misconduct.
The company’s struggle to build hits beyond Call Her Daddy has intensified pressure to deliver results across new ventures, potentially exacerbating tensions between creative and operational teams. While Cooper’s star power continues to drive revenue and visibility, the workplace allegations suggest that the cost of expansion may be coming at the expense of employee well-being and long-term stability. Unless addressed, these issues could undermine the very audience loyalty that has made Cooper one of the most influential voices in digital media.
What specific actions have employees taken in response to Matt Kaplan’s alleged behavior?
Employees have filed formal complaints through on-set channels, threatened to quit or walk off film sets and live tours, and in some cases have already left the company, with at least 20 citing departures on LinkedIn in 2025, and 2026.
How has Alex Cooper responded to the allegations against her husband?
Cooper did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg regarding the allegations against Matt Kaplan, though she has publicly engaged in her feud with Alix Earle via social media.
