Why Alex Cooper Decided to Share Sexual Harassment Allegations
Originally appeared on E! Online
Alex Cooper is revealing when she knew she had to share her experiences with the world.
While the podcaster does open up about allegedly being sexually harassed by her college soccer coach Nancy Feldman in her new documentary Call Her Alex, the project wasn't initially concepted to share her story—that is until one moment changed everything.
"Towards the end of filming this documentary, new information came to light,' Alex explained in a special June 11 episode of Call Her Daddy. Similar to previous comments made during a panel, Alex alleged that she 'found out' the 'harassment' was allegedly continuing at the institution. 'I found out that other women had stepped onto that same field and experienced the same harassment I did.'
And after speaking with one of the alleged victims, the 30-year-old continued, 'Everything changed for me that day. It really put in perspective that the harassment and abuse of power was, and is, so much bigger than me. It is systemic and it's happening everywhere."
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She continued, "I realized that if a woman in my position—who has power, a platform—is still scared of speaking out about my own lived experience of sexual harassment, how the hell will any other woman feel safe and confident to come forward?'
Yet, Alex will be among the first to share how difficult it was to do so.
'It took me a decade to tell this story, and I'll be honest even saying the words right now, 'I was sexually harassed by my college soccer coach,' I still feel uneasy and uncomfortable and anxious with all of it,' she said, later adding, 'I think I've hesitated to share my story for various reasons. I think the first obvious is that it's really painful to talk about, and I think a part of my also feels embarrassed that this happened to me. The Call Her Daddy girl. In coming forward I was also afraid of retaliation. I also worried people would downplay or dismiss the severity of what I experienced because the abuse wasn't physical.'
E! News previously reached out to Nancy Feldman and Boston University for comment but has not yet heard back, and neither party has publicly responded to Alex's allegations.
But in learning that others said they had, and allegedly continue, to experience similar harassment—despite Nancy retiring from BU in 2022—Alex explained she knew 'without a doubt' it was time to share her story.
'Opening up about this in the documentary, is yes not only a way for me to share what I've endured,' she said, 'but also what women continue to endure everywhere every single day. So, I am here today, Daddy Gang, to say to any other victims: you are not alone, I see you, I believe you and I stand with you.'
And while Call Her Alex became the place she decided to share her experience, Alex knows the story shared in the documentary—her story—is so much bigger.
'I know that this experience doesn't define me,' she said, 'and there are so many other beautiful moments of my life I also got to share over the course of filming this project.'
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