Louise Thompson Accuses Alex Cooper of Podcast Theft

 risked a public feud with Alex Cooper by claiming she 'stole' the name 'Unwell' that she planned to use for a podcast for her production company.

The influencer, 36, referenced the backlash Alex is currently receiving surrounding her feud with Alix Earle and her husband's workplace bullying allegations, as she claimed it was 'karma' for taking the name she believes she coined.

The former star said she 'never thought she would share' the story, but was 'feeling brave' on Wednesday in clip shared to her profile.

Louise claimed that she came up with the idea of a podcast called 'Unwell' or 'Unwellness' while struggling with a period of poor mental and physical health following the birth of her son Leo, now four, who was born in November 2021.

After childbirth, Louise experienced life-threatening bleeding, multiple surgeries, and ongoing recovery challenges.

Since then, she's also spoken about lasting physical complications and mental health struggles, including PTSD linked to the traumatic birth.

Louise said she spoke to an executive - who is linked to Alex's management team - about her idea for a podcast, however she didn't feel recovered enough to action the project at the time.

She claimed that four-five months later she saw that Alex had launched her production company - The Unwell Network - under the same name in 2023.

The term Unwell for Alex Cooper's network originated from a popular phrase used on early episodes to describe chaotic behaviour or being hungover.

It's roots are in a story told by former co-host Sofia Franklyn about emailing her boss 'I'm unwell' while at Coachella in 2018, before coming the brand's name.

Speaking in the video, Louise said: 'I don't know how well this is going to go down, but I'm going to say it anyway because I'm feeling like a big brave dog.

'And I just came back from a meeting which went really well with Wes Streeting. This has nothing to do with that.

'I was just on Instagram. Shouldn't be doom scrolling on my way home, and I saw a Bloomberg Business post that is essentially a take down of Unwell.

'Which is the podcast production company set up by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper and her husband, so there have been claims that they have been treating staff badly that they have been shouting.

'That they have been disrespecting people and obviously there's been this very public feud that Alex Cooper has had with Alix Earle.

'I'm just gonna say something, karma is a b***h! So here's something you guys don't know, so I had a meeting when I was peak 'unwellness' a couple of years ago with a podcast...

'Well not even a podcast, with an exec that came over from the U.S, who worked with a big talent agency. Medium mogul shall we say, about doing a podcast with us.

'So I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to be jumping into something at this point, because I was still mentally and physically incapacitated.

'We went for a meeting, we had lunch, but I was not quite all there yet, I wasn't ready to commit to something really big.

'But I did give the name of the podcast that I wanted to launch. And what was the name? It was going to be called unwell.

'And what was my reasoning and my ethos behind it? It was that we live in a world that is so wrapped up with wellness and wellness trends and I will admit that I was a hypocrite because I used to constantly talk about how well and how people can get well.

'Then obviously I reached peak unwellness when I went through everything that I went through after having my son. So I thought it would be a really clever play on what I'd been through to call this new business and this new podcast venture, Unwell or Unwellness.

'I have it written in my list in my notes that I wrote years ago when I was recovering early doors.

'Then I notice about 4/5 months later, she announces that her whole podcast thing is going to be called Unwell. And I think that is like a little bit too suspicious that we both had exactly the same name idea.

'Especially given that I had the conversation with people who are apart of her overall management team a few months before. Hey what do they say? Copying is the highest form of flattery?'

Louise's claims about the podcast name as former friends Alex and Alix , which began with Alix calling out Alex and accusing her of sharing 'passive aggressive' videos online.

Alix and Alex have across social media in recent days, reigniting long-simmering tensions between the once-friendly duo.

Rumors of a rift had been bubbling for months, ever since Alix's Hot Mess podcast was abruptly dropped from Cooper's Unwell Network last year - despite her being one of its earliest signings back in 2023.

The feud roared back into the spotlight after Alix reshared an April 9 that branded Alex an 'ambulance chaser' and 'grim reaper,' referencing the traumatic stories often shared on her podcast.

Alex hit back with a TikTok of her own, accusing Alix of posting 'passive-aggressive' content. 

She escalated the feud further, claiming Barstool Sports podcaster Brianna LaPaglia, known as , was 'adding onto the fake narrative and dog pile' by labelling her a 'mean girl.'

Their escalating feud comes as both influencers continue to dominate the digital media landscape.

Alix rose to fame in 2023 while studying at the University of Miami after going viral for her 'get ready with me' TikTok videos, and now boasts 8.4 million TikTok followers and 5.5 million on Instagram.

Alex has turned Call Her Daddy into a media empire under her Unwell Network, making her one of the most influential voices in podcasts.

After Alix left Alex's platform, fans spotted a growing distance between the once closely aligned pair. For a time, both parties kept things quiet - until tensions resurfaced this month.

'I got to call you out here. You're going to need to get specific and just say what you got to say about me,' Alex said in her TikTok. 'There's no NDA. No one is stopping you. Stop hiding behind other people and just say it yourself. What's the beef?'

She went on to accuse Alix of pushing a 'fake narrative' that 'happens to be way more interesting than the truth.'

'I know what happened, and so do you,' Alex added. 'I have nothing to hide when it comes to you and me. So unless you actually have something to say, I'm out. This is over.'

'Okay on it!!' Alix commented.

Alix has not posted a direct video response, but did share a clip of herself reacting to Alex's TikTok, appearing amused as she laughed off parts of the callout, later saying, 'Wait, that just literally made my whole day.'

Initially, some social media users speculated the back-and-forth could be a coordinated publicity stunt designed to drive engagement.

But the situation escalated further when Alex posted an Instagram Story referencing LaPaglia, appearing to dismiss that theory.

'This girl on girl s*** needs to stop,' Alex wrote, adding she had never met LaPaglia in person and sharing screenshots of their past direct messages to support her claim.

'So speaking of mean girls... I have never met you in my life,' she wrote. 'What I just showed is the only interaction we've ever had. And you hate me? Wow. Please go back and read the DMs. That has never been the nature of our relationship.'

She added, 'Now back to Alix. And no, this is not a PR stunt.'

LaPaglia quickly fired back with a video response, saying the messages were from 'before I found out everything about this girl,' while dismissing claims the feud is fabricated and telling critics to 'get a brain cell.'

'I was a fan of Alex Cooper before I knew the wrath of f***ing Alex Cooper and what she does to people and how she treats people. I'm friends with Alix Earl. Alix Earl told me everything that transpired between those two two years ago at the Super Bowl. She told me everything.'

She declined to elaborate further, saying it is 'not my story to tell,' but added, 'From what Alix Earl told me, Alex Cooper is a very, very mean person.' 

Meanwhile, a source close to Alex exclusively told the Daily Mail: 'Alex has had enough. She was pushed over the edge. She normally will never address something like this, but she's truly had enough.

'She feels like Alix is another influencer that wants to ride her coattails... Alex hates being involved in any drama, especially any public drama.' 

The source also claimed that Alex's video statement was 'her attempt at trying to stop Alix from creating 'fake drama' before it got out of control.'

As well as her fall out with Alix, Alex has also hit the headlines due to allegations of a 'toxic culture' at Unwell, of which she is the face. 

Her husband Matt Kaplan has been accused of shouting at staff as it was claimed in a Bloomberg report that he 'berates staff' and has 'left them in tears'.

The publication claimed that Matt is involved in the day to day running of the company, while Alex focuses on her podcast, Call Her Daddy.

Representations for Kaplan have been contacted by Daily Mail for comment.