Reagan Conrad: The Harsh Realities Of Mixing Friendships With Business – And The Harms Of Taking Away Your Friend’s Job In The World Of Influencing

The year 2024 ended on a rough note for a lot of people, including Brett Cooper. She was on an all-time high in her personal life as she got married to her boyfriend, Alex. But her professional life was on a downright spiral. Not because of a fault of her own, but because there were people close to her, including people she called friends, who mistreated her and forced out of the show she practically made famous.

For those of you that don’t know, Brett Cooper is a young, 23 year old conservative former child star and YouTuber. In 2022, she joined the Daily Wire’s ‘The Comments Section’. The show found a whirlwind success with Brett’s bubbly personality as the face of the channel, having gained a whopping 4 million subscribers by 2024. On October 26, 2024, Cooper’s producer, best friend, and maid-of-honor at her wedding, Reagan Conrad would begin to be a guest host on her show. In the two months leading up to Cooper’s official departure announcement, Reagan became a more frequent familiar face on the show until eventually becoming Brett’s official replacement. In her announcing her departure from ‘The Comments Section’ and The Daily Wire company, Cooper insisted that the decision was on her own accord. The more time passed since her departure, however, the harder it became believing this testament to be true.

After her departure, Brett referred her subscribers to her new YouTube channel where she’d be doing the same exact thing her fans love her for. The one major difference would be that the content she’d create would be self-produced. The channel gained nearly 600,000 subscribers in its first month alone. On January 27, 2025, Cooper posted her first video on her new channel; a trailer for her new program, ‘The Brett Cooper Show’. Brett’s channel is thriving, whereas ‘The Comments Section’ with Reagan as the new host has struggled to see any sort of success. Brett’s videos garner around half a million views within the first day of release. ‘The Comments Section’ now sees about 18,000 – 20,000 views in a day at best, which in the world of YouTube influencing, is considered to very much be a failure. And not only that, but they continue to lose followers on a daily basis. The longevity and continuation of ‘The Comment Section’ without Brett just seems unlikely…at least to me.

Brett Cooper’s content, both on ‘The Comments Section’ and on her own show, typically involves discussing both political and non-political topics from a conservative standpoint, aiming to engage a Gen Z audience through platforms like YouTube and TikTok. She gives a humorous and critical take from her conservative viewpoint in her content. The show was one of The Daily Wire’s attempts to capture a younger audience. It was evident, however, by the differing insights of ‘The Brett Cooper Show’ and ‘The Comments Section’ that fans were turning in to ‘The Comment Section’ for Brett herself. Heck, I’m not even afraid to admit that I myself was tuning in to ‘The Comment Section’ regularly for Brett. There’s just something about that makes a viewer want to tune in. There’s a familiarity in her personality that makes her feel like a friend when she talks to the camera. It makes her likeable and easy to resonate with.

Of course I tuned in to Brett Cooper’s show as soon as it came out. She was just the same bubbly, vibrant young woman that she always portrait herself to be on ‘The Comments Section’. I didn’t agree with a lot of her comments, but I genuinely respected her differing views of anything and everything. And of course, I was curious to see what the fuss was about in regard to Reagan taking over ‘The Comment Section’, so I decided to check it out as well. It was pretty clear that Reagan was trying to live up to Brett in her new gig as host. Her mannerism and the way she spoke – all Brett. There was absolutely nothing original about Reagan. The weirdest part about it all is that the way she presents herself now on ‘The Comments Section’ isn’t the way she speaks or acts at all. If you watch old videos of her, you’ll see the drastic difference between the two versions of Reagan just as I did.

In January, Cooper opened up to ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’ on her new, independently made show, ‘I’m starting my new show. I wanted to be independent. I watched the media landscape change over the last couple of years, but especially leading into this election, and young people are just hungry for independent voices who are authentic and honest with their audiences. They don’t want to hear from traditional pundits 24/7. We think about those guys, and they were pretty normal, and they were wanting freedom, and they were wanting the life that we have built now in this country. They were very young, which I think people often forget. These were 17-to 22-year-old men who are hungry and huge dreamers, and I feel like we’re getting back to that actually, in a very cool way. People have a voice in a way that they haven’t had, ever. If I can change your perspective on who we are and what we believe and what we stand for, even if it’s not to change your mind or change your vote, but to make you have more respect for your friends who think differently than you, then I’ve done what I want to do. It’s just trying to reach across the aisle with nuance and empathy, because I think that … things are changing. We saw that in 2024, and so, I think there’s a lot more progress to be made.’

Since she left ‘The Comments Section’ neither Brett nor Reagan ever said anything about the entire ordeal. One’s social media activity, however, will tell you more than words could ever say. Brett unfollowed Reagan, The Daily Wire, and the company’s CEO, Jeremy Boreing on Instagram following her leaving the company. Following Brett’s announcement of her leaving The Daily Wire, a video clip showed Boreing delivering a message thanking her for her time at the company and congratulating her on the new chapter in her life, which some perceived as stilted and lacking genuine warmth. Viewers and commentators criticized Boreing for what they saw as his passive-aggressive comments and actions, particularly his perceived defense Reagan, despite the significant audience backlash against the change. He said, ‘It’s hurt my feelings a little bit that Brett hasn’t done more to defend her friend.’

Boreing himself left The Daily Wire last month. I found it funny that he’d even say that, considering he had Brett sign an NDA which prohibits her from saying anything about the matter unless she wants to get sued. At one point in the video, he also got offended about the statements and assumptions of him sending Reagan to acting classes to imitate Brett, saying that nothing of the sort happened. Then immediately proceeded to talk about all the lessons he payed for Brett to take, and saying that it was a good thing for people to take lessons. But why wouldn’t the public think that he sent Reagan to acting classes to act like Brett in her new gig as the host of ‘The Comments Section’ when she sounds and acts EXACTLY like Brett while sounding and acting completely different in her old videos? Even if two women are best friends, there’s absolutely NO WAY that one will start showing the same mannerism and even sound the same. If you put ‘The Comments Section’ video clips of Brett hosting and Reagan hosting, you’ll see that it’s exactly the same, and that Reagan is practically the blonde version of Brett in her videos on the show.

‘The Comments Section With Brett Copper’ was a breath of fresh air compared to the many podcasts out there that have middle-aged men sporting beards giving their very outdated references working as hosts. Cooper seemed on a fast track to stardom. During her two-year run at The Daily Wire, Cooper grew to be the second-largest following of The Daily Wire hosts with more than four million subscribers and nearly four billion views. Numbers don’t lie. I was one of those subscribers. When Reagan took over as host, however, it just felt like I was watching a clone of Brett, but less appealing and with less personality. And as we all know, being a good YouTuber isn’t enough anymore to draw audiences in; you have to be GREAT. You have to have originality about you that sees subscribers stay on the channel and watch your videos. Brett did just that on ‘The Comments Section’, and producers assumed that they could bring whoever as a replacement for her when she left.

That was The Daily Wire’s biggest mistake. They didn’t realize that viewership was coming in not because they particularly had a good show, but rather that they had a good host; a great host. Brett has a star quality about her that draws listeners in. The main villain here is Boreing himself. Ot was reported that Brett wanted to have Reagan on board with her working on her independent show, but Reagan decided to stay working on ‘The Comments Section’. She had all the right in the world to do that. She’s an adult, a grown woman, and choosing one job over another isn’t a crime. Stabbing your best friend in the back (not literally) isn’t either. Reagan might’ve wanted to be in front of the camera rather than behind it, and that was an opportunity Boreing offered her. This also made me question what other work perks and benefits he gave her that Brett couldn’t offer…

Candace Owens, another conservative YouTube personality and a frequent collaborator of Brett, also left The Daily Wire in 2024. In contrast to Brett, the reasons are very much known, and they have to do with the October 7 massacre. Owens had used her platform on the site, which was co-founded by Ben Shapiro, to criticize Israel’s military response in Gaza. In November, Owen’s posted on X, formerly Twitter, ‘No government anywhere has a right to commit a genocide, ever. There is no justification for a genocide. I can’t believe this even needs to be said or is even considered the least bit controversial to state.’ Shapiro, in a TikTok video, called Owens’ behaviour ‘absolutely disgraceful’. And she didn’t stop there either. She went as far as saying that Shapiro didn’t have the power to fire her. LOL. She said, ‘As I explained on Tucker Carlson’s show, like, Ben doesn’t have the power to fire me. And it’s not even saying that we disagree on Israel and Palestine. I just think that he’s — obviously, his wife is Israeli. He spends a lot of time in Israel throughout the year. I think when you have an emotional attachment to some place, that sometimes your reaction to anything is going to be more extreme to it. You know?’

What I absolutely respected about Brett was that, at least in the videos I watched of her, she at least seemed neutral in stance on the October 7 massacre and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Numerous journalism outlets, as well as fellow YouTubers and friends of Brett, including Owens, came to her defence. Owens, on her part, criticized media outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and The Spectator for pushing the narratives that attempt to paint Brett as antisemitic and questioned whether The Daily Wire was engaging in a smear campaign against her. It’s funny she mentioned antisemitism as a negative thing considering that, in 2024, she was awarded the Antisemite Of The Year Award…proudly. On top of it all, she defended Hitler’s actions in Germany, mocked Jewish fears over Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks, and claimed Israel forced Muslims into segregated quarters, as well as insisted that Hollywood was run by Jewish gangs.

Nevertheless, I certainly did agree with Owens that The Daily Wire aimed to engage in a smear campaign against Brett. Boreing allegedly blocked Brett from using her existing TikTok following her departure from the company, and she had to start all over again from scratch. Everything she ever worked so hard to accomplish was erased, and she had to start from scratch. There was no guarantee. What Boreing didn’t anticipate, however, and neither did Brett herself, was that viewers would leave ‘The Comments Section’ to show their dedication to Brett once she started her new YouTube show. In the conservative young viewership, Brett has somewhat become the new Candace Owen, but a much more respectable, vibrant, fun and engaging Candace Owen.

Brett and Reagan’s conflict has become the perfect example of reasons why one should never work with friends at the same company; as well as why one shouldn’t become too close with anyone they work with. Working with friends can blur professional and personal lines, potentially leading to conflicts, favoritism, and decreased productivity, impacting both the workplace and the friendship. And if we look at it from a more detailed perspective:

1. Blurred Boundaries and Professionalism: 

• Personal Issues Affecting Work: Work disagreements or conflicts can escalate into personal issues, straining the friendship and professional relationship. 
• Difficulty Maintaining Objectivity: It can be challenging to discipline or critique a friend, or to make decisions that might negatively impact them, potentially leading to favoritism or poor decision-making. 
• Reduced Productivity: Too much socializing or taking each other for granted can hinder performance and productivity. 
• Potential for Cliques and Exclusion: Work friendships can lead to the formation of cliques, which can make some employees feel excluded or marginalized. 

2. Potential for Conflict and Tension: 

• Falling Out: If a disagreement or falling out occurs, it can damage both the friendship and the professional relationship, creating tension and awkwardness. 
• Jealousy and Resentment: If one friend is promoted or given a sought-after project, the other might feel jealous or resentful. 
• Difficulty Handling Performance Issues: It can be difficult to address performance issues or provide constructive feedback to a friend, potentially leading to underperformance or resentment. 

3. Impact on Workplace Dynamics: 

• Negative Gossip and Gripe Sessions: Employees may bond over shared grievances and reinforce negative feelings about the company, creating a toxic work environment. 
• Sensitive Conversations: Work-related conversations that are better kept private might be shared with friends, potentially leading to leaks or misunderstandings. 
• Morale Issues: If one friend leaves the company, it can lower morale for the friend left behind. 

In a recent interview with Sean Ryan, Brett was her most vulnerable self. We’ll talk more about it in the next blog entry coming up. For now, however, I’d just like to merely mention that when asked about her fractured friendship with Reagan, Brett simply said that friendships were hard. And I can honestly that this is true. Friendships are hard; especially female friendships. But for me, it was the way she spoke when she said that that got to me. She was obviously hurt by the entire situation.

And so now the question remains – Will Brett and Reagan ever be able to be friends again? The simple answer to this question is… no. No, they most likely won’t ever be friends. Brett’s livelihood was on the line because of a company she worked for, and her so-called-best-friend chose to stay at that company. This fight between the two wasn’t just about some girl drama that we typically see unfold in movies and TV shows. But nevertheless, I can’t put the full blame on Reagan. The company wasn’t just set out to fail Brett, but Reagan as well. They knew exactly what they were doing when they had her speak and act the same exact way as Brett in her hosting duties on ‘The Comments Section’.

I mentioned before that Brett got married last year, and Reagan was the maid-of honor at the wedding. You might think to yourself that it’s too soon for a woman in her early 20’s to get married, but trust me when I say, it’s not. Brett is a woman who’d lived through turmoil and heartbreak from a very young age, and it made her grow up faster than she should’ve. First, her brother passed away when she was 5 years old of a heart attack; and then, her other brother was diagnosed with Schizophrenia, and now, after having gone through hardships caused by the medical system, which we’ll talk about in the next post, she’s become his legal guardian. And despite all that, she still continued to show up every week doing what she did best.

Maybe that was initially why I was so star struck by her when I first stumbled upon ‘The Comments Section’. I didn’t know anything about her life. She’d never share any of the details of that part of her life in her ‘Comments Section’ videos; at least not in the ones I watched. And yet, there was just something so intriguing about her. It didn’t even matter that I didn’t agree with more than half of what she was saying. I just wanted to listen to what she had to say. I wanted to listen to her opinion; one that I knew was very different than mine. And after watching her interview with Sean Ryan, I found her even more likeable. He gave viewers a side of her that her fans never saw; and probably never will.

Reagan’s LinkedIn page states, ‘I’m on a mission to tell stories of impact, stories of voices who rarely get heard across multiple media platforms’. But… is she? It seems to me that she’s now on a mission to mimic her former best friend because it’s been assumed that that would get the audience for ‘The Comments Section’ stay. But alas, their plan didn’t work. That’s because those of us who watch YouTubers and subscribe to them like originality. Those 4 million accounts who were subscribed to ‘The Comments Section’ YouTube page while Brett were there weren’t subscribed to the channel because they were fans of the company, but rather the face of the company – Brett. And maybe they would’ve stayed subscribed to the channel had Reagan showed at least some originality and personality in her hosting duties. But this wasn’t the case at all. Just as I’ve kept mentioning in this blog entry alone, she showed herself to be a Brett 2.0, a completely different version of herself than in her old influencing videos. Someone who’s deliberately trying to change their public persona to match another seems… pretty shady. I think the public agrees with me, and that’s exactly why they’re not tuning in to ‘The Comments Section With Reagan Conrad’; because they can support the original Brett they do know and love by tuning in to her own channel.

Reagan is a 27-28 year old woman. Just like Brett, she’s a married woman. She has a family to feed. She did what she thought was best for her and her family. She went the safe route by staying aboard working for The Daily Wire. And while doing so, she lost her friendship with Brett. Brett, in contrast, had much more to lose than Reagan ever did. She had to start completely from scratch, and her quick success was only something she could aspire to. But what makes her so authentically likeable is that she would’ve been completely fine had she not seen that success – as she told Sean Ryan. That’s how you know that she does what she does because she loves it; not solely for the money. A good YouTuber excels at creating engaging, high-quality content, consistently uploads, interacts with their audience, and understands the platform’s algorithms and SEO best practices. To break it down further:

Content Creation & Quality: 

• Engaging and Relevant Content: Focus on topics that are both interesting to you and appeal to your target audience. 
• High-Quality Production: Invest in good equipment (camera, microphone, editing software) and learn basic video editing skills. 
• Storytelling: Think about how you can present information in a compelling and narrative way. 
• Originality: Strive to create unique content that stands out from the crowd. 

Audience Engagement & Community: 

• Consistency: Regularly upload videos to keep your audience engaged and build anticipation. 
• Interaction: Respond to comments, engage in discussions, and build a community around your channel. 
• Community Management: Moderating comments and addressing concerns can help foster a positive and welcoming environment. 
• Feedback: Be open to feedback and use it to improve your videos and content strategy. 

YouTube Platform & SEO: 

• Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords to help people find your videos. 
• Video Optimization: Use descriptive titles, tags, and descriptions to improve search visibility. 
• Thumbnails: Create eye-catching thumbnails to attract viewers. 
• Understanding the Algorithm: Familiarize yourself with how YouTube’s algorithm works to optimize your content for visibility. 
• Analytics: Use YouTube Analytics to track your performance and identify areas for improvement. 

Other Important Skills: 

• Communication: Develop strong communication skills to connect with your audience and build relationships. 
• Resilience: Be prepared for criticism and learn from mistakes. 
• Networking: Connect with other YouTubers and collaborate on projects. 
• Adaptability: Be willing to experiment with new content formats and strategies. 
• Patience: Building a successful YouTube channel takes time and effort, so be patient and persistent. 

We’ve mentioned originality a heck of a lot in this blog entry, and it’s for a very good reason. That, along with storytelling techniques, is what makes Brett and Reagan so distinctly different. I’ve mentioned a couple of times that not all of it is Reagan’s fault; that she’s only been doing what she’s told. The fact of the matter is, however, Reagan chose to stay employed at The Daily Wire and get herself in front of the camera. More so on that, as a producer, she knew exactly who she was dealing with. She knew who the real devil was, and she chose that devil.

Reagan has everything Brett has to make her ‘The Comments Section’ YouTube channel a success. She has everything but originality and storytelling, and these two factors are the most important ones to make a YouTube channel successful, especially at this time where there are so many influential figures as there are today to compete with. This, in a way, is more than just her stabbing Brett (again, not literally) in the back. But since we’re at it, I think that, in hindsight, leaving ‘The Comments Section’ and having to start over was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to Brett. Now she can create content fully on her own terms without having to answer to anyone but herself. It might’ve been harder to do, and it was definitely a big risk, especially as this happened just as her husband was starting his own business. But it’s all damn worth it. It’s just great to know that she still got people on her side that are cheering for her and rooting for her.

With all that said, I think Reagan has potential, still, to be successful. I know that, as a producer, she’s more than capable to make the changes necessary. Whether she does implement them is up to her. Until then, there’s practically no reason why anyone should ever tune in to ‘The Comments Section’ when they could get the same message across with better quality content from someone else – like Brett. Just having a pretty face and acting like someone else entirely just won’t do it. My hope to see more of Reagan; the REAL Reagan. And I’m sure that Brett does too, deep down. Her way of speaking about Reagan since the falling out has been nothing short of ‘I want to see you succeed, just not at my table.’ I don’t have the same emotional attachment to either Reagan or Brett. I see them both as influences that could make a difference in people’s lives. Not mine, in particular, but many others. Reagan just needs a little nudge, I guess, to be reminded that she’s her own freaking person. She needs to be reminded that she could be just as great, if not even more, just by being herself on camera. But even more so, she needs to reminded that she doesn’t need to throw her friends under the bus (again, not literally) to get herself ahead in the game of influencing.