Victoria Kalina, a former cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys and a standout from Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts, shared her struggles while watching the acclaimed series.
The 24-year-old revealed that she even walked out during a viewing of the documentary, which exposed the low wages and challenging working conditions faced by the cheerleaders.
“It had a very hard impact on me,” she stated in a Friday interview with The Times.
Kalina, whose mother was part of the cheer squad in the 1980s, recalled leaving a preview after witnessing a segment where coaches mocked her endurance.
Her mother, Tina, opted not to watch the series at all.
Ex-Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Victoria Kalina expressed difficulty in watching the Netflix show
She gained prominence as a star in America’s Sweethearts, which premiered last month
“As a mom, it’s obviously difficult for her to watch; seeing her daughter hurting and being treated that way. So I believe she will need time to process it before watching the series,” Kalina commented.
She drew parallels between her experience on the team and an abusive relationship, noting, “I think I lost some of my passion for dancing… if you’re constantly giving and not receiving anything in return — what’s the point?”
This revelation comes shortly after an exclusive interview with another former DCC member, who exposed the “dark side” of the “toxic” culture, where dancers are poorly treated and seen as “expendable.”
“You become attached to the sisterhood,” the previous cheerleader explained.
“You develop a strong bond with the other girls; they become like family. But we often joke about being trauma bonded due to our shared experiences.”
Despite being the most valuable sports franchise worldwide, estimated at around $5 billion, the salaries of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are comparable to those of fast-food workers.
The Netflix series, ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ focuses on the team
A former DCC member disclosed the ‘dark side’ of the toxic environment of the team
Most DCC members earn approximately the same salary as a full-time Chick-Fil-A employee
Charlotte Jones, the chief brand officer and daughter of billionaire owner Jerry Jones, asserted that the cheerleaders are driven by more than just financial gain when joining the DCC.
“They don’t come here just for the money; they seek something much larger than that to them,” she commented in the debut episode of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts.
In contrast, the lowest-paid Cowboys player earns $795,000, while quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract is valued at $160 million.
Conversely, the cheerleader we interviewed earned between $15,000 and $22,000 annually during her time with the DCC.
“It’s quite insulting to hear someone in such a high position suggest that we join for something greater than ourselves,” the former cheerleader reacted to Charlotte’s remarks.
“We genuinely love being Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. But if you want top-tier dancers, they must be compensated accordingly.
“We are all athletes, all outstanding performers… the issue is that they will continually have women eager to accept less.”
