Reece Weaver says Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are still feeling the strain from social media criticism after her retirement from the squad. She spent three years on the team and says the comments reach the people inside it, not just the audience outside it.
“As a whole, it really does affect our team,” Weaver said. She added that the team’s words online are “really heavy and hold weight,” and that the reaction to those posts feeds the pressure players face day to day.
Weaver on Dallas Cowboys comments
Weaver said she and her teammates actually see the comments, even when people assume they do not. “We actually do see the comments. I think a lot of people think that we never see the comments. But it’s all over our For You page. That’s how social media works,” she said.
She also said the criticism has not just cut one way. “I do think it played a role in the pressures that we experience on the day-to-day. But if anything, it has made us so strong and super close with each other,” Weaver said, tying the backlash to the team’s tighter internal bond.
Reddit and Weaver boundaries
Her response has been to narrow what she sees. “After these past three years, this was the first time I actually established and realized what true boundaries are,” Weaver said. “I really set a lot of boundaries for myself. I say that I’m actually almost two years sober from Reddit. I have not gone on Reddit a lot.”
She said the pressure does not stay contained inside one platform. “Even the Reddit pages on that platform, they’re making accounts and going to our Instagrams, TikToks and other social media platforms,” Weaver said. When she runs into negative comments, she deletes them so they do not spread into further argument.
“When I do see negative comments, I’m one to just delete it. That way it’s not seen on my page — my eyes don’t see it — and for others so that they don’t get into it. I don’t necessarily want other people to backlash and get into arguments. I don’t need that. I don’t need anyone else to need that, either,” she said.
America’s Sweethearts season 3
Season 3 of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders premiered on June 16, and Weaver’s retirement was revealed at the end of the season. She said the show also tracks the negative side of the feedback the team receives, which made the reaction to her decision feel predictable.
“I think the nerves came through like, ‘Are people going to be supportive of this decision or not?’ But I’m also relieved that it’s off my chest and that everyone will know,” Weaver said. She said she would return to comments and be more active on social media only if she feels ready, and for now she is keeping the distance that has already worked for her.
