The Dark Side Of The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
What happens when your wildest dream becomes a reality? For the hopeful dancers of the NFL’s most prestigious cheer team, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the dream can quickly become an overwhelming nightmare.
Founded in the 1960s, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, or the DCC, have become iconic symbols of American culture, values, and sex appeal. While the team has always been elite, the standards of athleticism, beauty, and talent have only gotten stricter since the introduction of the iconic blue-and-white starred uniform in the 1970s. Led by director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell, the selective, months-long audition process was meticulously documented on the CMT reality television series, “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team,” until its cancellation in 2022 after 16 seasons. In 2024, a Netflix docuseries titled “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” picked up where the original series left off — but, this time, hearing the truth from the cheerleaders about their behind-the-scenes struggles.
Needless to say, both series shocked the nation by highlighting some of the dancers’ never-before-seen hardships — including harassment and just how little they are paid. Let’s jump into the dark side of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
It’s no secret that becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader can be an immense privilege. Many dancers spend their entire lives training for auditions, and some will try out multiple times before finally making it on the team — if at all. In return, they’re revered as global icons, and some cheerleaders even go on to be celebrities themselves. But, despite being one of the most prestigious cheerleading squads in the world, the DCC has been highly criticized for unfair labor practices and low pay.
While NFL football players make millions per year – take Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s lavish life, for example — the cheerleaders are estimated to make a measly $500 per game and $15-20 per hour for practices. “They’re not paid a lot,” Charlotte Jones, CBO and daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, said in the “America’s Sweethearts” Netflix documentary (via HuffPost). “But the facts are that they actually don’t come here for the money. They come here for something that’s actually bigger than that to them.” What exactly is this bigger purpose, then? “Sisterhood” and “passion,” Jones justified.
Many, if not all cheerleaders work full-time jobs on top of being a DCC in order to survive. In 2018, former cheerleader Erica Wilkins took a stand and sued the Cowboys organization for wage theft. After a year of appearances, calendar shoots, and performances, Wilkins claimed she only made a measly $4,700 after taxes.
