The Hidden Darkness Beneath Sweetheart Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders & Netflix Show

The Pressure to Fit the Mold

From the moment a girl tries on the team’s skimpy uniform, the pressure is palpable. “You look amazing!” Kelli exclaims to one girl. But then, as quickly as the compliment came, the criticism followed: “But we need to talk about your hips.”

This relentless scrutiny isn’t new. The old DCC rulebook once stipulated that gaining weight was a “breach of contract.” The legacy lives on, as the uniform is only fitted once, and must fit perfectly throughout a cheerleader’s entire tenure, no matter how long that may be.

Victoria Kalina, daughter of a former Dallas Cheerleader and a friend of Kelli’s, knows this pressure all too well. Despite her connections and her years on the team, Victoria has always been the odd one out. “She tries too hard,” said a teammate off-camera, echoing a sentiment many seem to share.

In one particularly poignant scene, Victoria sits on her childhood bed, surrounded by pink walls that scream of a dream that never quite grew up. “I’ve struggled with depression and eating disorders,” she confesses. “And every time I put on that uniform, I think I need to lose at least three pounds.”

Despite her struggles, Victoria returned for a punishing fourth year, driven by something even she couldn’t quite explain. But by the end of the season, she’d had enough. “If you’re giving so much and it’s not being reciprocated… what’s the point?” she asked. Today, Victoria dances for the Radio City Rockettes, leaving the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders behind for good.

A Culture of Silence

But the show isn’t just about the struggles within the team. It also sheds light on the toxic culture that surrounds them. Cheerleader Sophy Laufer’s story is a stark example. After filing a police report against a game-day photographer who allegedly touched her inappropriately, Sophy expected support. Instead, she received skepticism from Kelli.

“You really want to press charges?” Kelli asked with a raised eyebrow, clearly shocked at Sophy’s decision.

No one mentioned the multi-million-dollar settlement the Cowboys had reached just two years earlier, after four former cheerleaders accused a high-ranking Cowboys executive of filming them in their changing rooms. The Cowboys denied any wrongdoing, of course, but the whispers of that scandal linger like a dark cloud over the team.

The Physical Cost of Perfection

The physical demands on the cheerleaders go far beyond staying slim. The team’s signature move — the ‘jump split’ — is a knee-shattering stunt that leaves many of the dancers injured. “I don’t know who thought that was a good idea,” said veteran cheerleader Caroline Sundvold. “That’s what rips up people’s hips.”

Caroline herself postponed reconstructive surgery on her hip just to finish her final season with the team. “It’s worth it,” she insisted, even as she hobbled on crutches. Her best friend Kat wasn’t so lucky, tearing both hips and needing extensive surgery to repair the damage.

But for Kelli and Judy, changing the routine is out of the question. “The fans love it,” Judy said with a shrug.

Is It All Worth It?

As much as the show exposes the grueling reality of being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, it also leaves us questioning the cost of it all. Caroline, now working as an account manager for a medical equipment company, admitted, “Sometimes I wonder… did I just leave behind the best years of my life?”

And while the exact salary figures remain elusive, we do know that the cheerleaders are paid far less than their male counterparts on the football field. Kat, the same cheerleader who tore her hips, revealed in the first episode that she earned the same as a full-time worker at Chick-fil-A. It wasn’t until a former cheerleader sued the Cowboys in 2018 for paying them less than minimum wage that any changes were made.

“Why do we do it?” Kelsey Wetterberg, a fifth-year cheerleader who also works as a pediatric nurse, pondered aloud during the show. “Because it’s five years of your life, and it’s something bigger than you.”

The Illusion of Sisterhood

Despite everything, the cheerleaders constantly reaffirm their love for each other. “I love you so much!” they cry, hugging and comforting each other through every setback. “I’m so proud of you!” “You look so cute!” It’s a sisterhood built on shared dreams, struggles, and, ironically, a shared sense of sacrifice.

Perhaps the most poignant character in this narrative is Reece Allman, the star of America’s Sweethearts. Impossibly beautiful, a devout Christian, and an incredible dancer, she embodies the ideal DCC. During interviews, Reece explained that her dance skills were a gift from God, and her sole purpose was to glorify Him through her performances.

“When people watch me cheer, I want them to see Jesus,” she said earnestly, her soft-spoken words capturing the essence of the complex interplay between innocence and fierce sexuality that the team demands.

Is It All Just “9 to 5”?

In one of the most ironically perfect moments of the series, Dolly Parton performs her iconic hit “9 to 5” during the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving game halftime show. As the cheerleaders perform their perfectly choreographed routine, Dolly’s lyrics ring out: “Workin’ nine to five, what a way to make a livin’ / Barely gettin’ by, it’s all takin’ and no givin’.”

Written back in 1980, those words couldn’t seem more appropriate under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium today. The show may be called America’s Sweethearts, but behind the smiles and high kicks, there’s a much darker reality that no amount of glitter can hide.