Buffalo Jills
The Buffalo Jills cheerleaders of the Buffalo Bills dance during an NFL game against the Oakland Raiders at Ralph Wilson Stadium on September 18, 2011 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)Getty Images
Shana Klimeczko, a former Buffalo Bills cheerleader, is speaking out about her time with the team.
In an interview with People, published on Sept. 8, Klimeczko, who was on the team during the 2005-2006 NFL season, shared some of the intense rules she had to follow as a Buffalo Jill. Many of the rules restricted how the Jills must look and dress, down to the color of their nails and lips.
“You actually had to have the correct nail color as well as lipstick,” Klimeczko, who now works as a Pilates manager at Equinox, told the outlet. “If you did not have the right lipstick or nail color, you were not allowed to be at the game that day or you’d be benched.”
Lipstick had to be red “and the nails had to be pink, french or clear,” she said. Additionally, the Jills “always had to wear fake eyelashes for sure.”
Klimeczko also said that looking tan was a non-negotiable. “We had to be tan. Spray tan or tanning. I did both,” she said. Other surprising revelations she shared from her time on the team include always having her hair down and not being able to mingle with any other NFL players outside the Bills.
The cheerleaders’ bodies were also under strict scrutiny. “You’re judged on your appearance,” she said. “That’s what you do. And you’re judged on the way you look, and you’re judged on making sure your uniform fits properly... So that’s what you go into.”
Despite the high standards she was held to, Klimeczko said she would “1,000 billion percent” do it again. “That was something I always dreamt of,” she said, adding, “I’m still definitely really proud.”
However, it seems that not all ex-Bills cheerleaders would jump back into uniform so willingly. In 2014, five Bills cheerleading alums filed an explosive lawsuit against the team, alleging they were underpaid and subjected to a “jiggle test,” among other things.
The lawsuit claimed the Jills were misclassified as independent contractors, a designation that allowed the team to violate state minimum wage laws and other workplace regulations. The suit alleged that the cheerleaders were not paid for games or practices and were required to make 20 to 35 appearances each season at community and charity events, most of which were unpaid. On top of that, they had to pay $650 for their uniforms and were not reimbursed for travel or other expenses.
In fact, one cheerleader alleged in the lawsuit that she was paid only $420 during the NFL season, while another claimed she received a mere $105 for the entire season.
Citadel Communications Co. (now Cumulus Media) was also included in the suit.
As for the treatment the women received, the lawsuit also brought to light what has been dubbed the “jiggle test.” One cheerleader was quoted in the suit saying, “Everything from standing in front of us with a clipboard having us do a jiggle test to see what parts of our body were jiggling, and if that was something that she saw, you were getting benched.”
In March 2022, the lawsuit was settled. Cumulus and the Bills resolved all outstanding claims with the more than 50 cheerleaders then represented in the suit. Cumulus agreed to pay $4 million, while the team paid $3.5 million.
The Buffalo Jills have been disbanded since the 2014 lawsuit and remain one of seven NFL teams currently without a cheerleading squad.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.