The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 22, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Reece Weaver tells PEOPLE the internet made "a bigger deal" out of teammate Ava Lahey's viral TikTok video than it needed to be
Lahey's TikTok showed the process of how Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders clean their own uniforms
The post amassed mixed responses, including some who criticized the organization for making their cheerleaders do their own wash
The controversy over the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders having to wash their own uniforms was overblown, according to the cheerleaders themselves.
PEOPLE recently caught up with DCC's Charly Barby, Jada McLean, Kelly Villares and Reece Weaver at Netflix Summer Break on California's Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, July 17. At the event, which celebrated the streaming platform’s most popular unscripted shows, the cheerleaders shared their thoughts on the recent controversy that spawned after their teammate, Ava Lahey, shared a TikTok of her cleaning her own uniform in late May.
“I think that everyone had kind of made it a bigger deal than it really needed to be,” Weaver, 23, told PEOPLE. “I mean, all of our uniforms are catered and custom to us, so I think it's just a big responsibility that we have to carry, and we know that that's part of the job.”
The controversy took social media by storm last month as the video went viral, showing Lahey, also 23, scrubbing her uniform with a toothbrush at home.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders perform prior to the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders perform prior to the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.
The video amassed mixed reviews in the comment section, with many expressing shock at the fact the cheerleaders have to clean their own uniforms, which are custom fitted for them during training camp for each season.
"They pay you hardly anything AND make you wash your own uniform 😱," commented one user, while another posted, "The more I learn about this organization the more I dislike it. You’re underpaid, criticized/scrutinized about your looks constantly and now you have to wash your uniform?! Do players need to wash theirs?!"
But the Cowboys cheerleaders don’t seem fazed about the required chore.
At Netflix Summer Break, the cheerleaders all shared their experiences washing their uniforms at home — something that was also seen on season 2 of America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders — while explaining that they all knew it was required when they joined the squad.
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The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders enter the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants on November 28, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders enter the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants on November 28, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
McLean, 25, joked that she was “the worst cleaner” on the team, adding that her fellow cheerleaders know “don't mess it up or it's on you.”
“The first time I ever cleaned my uniform, I almost had a heart attack because I was like, how long do I leave it in the washer? How long do I dry it? Do I air dry it?” Villares, 24, laughed.
Weaver, who was seen in one episode meticulously cleaning her uniform on the docuseries, shared how she was “so nervous” the first time she washed her uniform at home given how careful the cheerleaders need to be with them.
“You only get one!” Villares laughed.