America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders has been captivating fans by showcasing the grueling journey to becoming a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. One scene in particular divided viewers on how the women support each other through their actions, beyond just their words.
In the America’s Sweethearts episode, Victoria Kalina and her mom, Tina Kalina, hosted a well-decorated birthday get-together at their Dallas home. However, other members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) did not show up for the party, leaving her to celebrate with her mother alone and making viewers curious if they intentionally ignored the invite.
“We had an appearance that morning and that’s when [Netflix] had asked, ‘Hey, can we come film? Can we come celebrate with you?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah,’” Victoria, 24, recalled during the Monday, July 8, episode of the Be There in Five podcast. “I word-of-mouth and vocalized, ‘Hey, Netflix is coming. There’s gonna be cake [and] the more the merrier.’ But, I guess it just didn’t trickle along.”
@bethereinfive Replying to @fgbugge Hi! I am an audio-only podcast mostly, clips are used for promo. But since people want to see it, we will get it up this week @Victoria Kalina
After being asked if the incident bothered her, Victoria responded, “No, because everything that I said always felt like it got just brushed aside.” She said her DCC teams often did “not fully acknowledge” what she said, and pointed out that the team regularly came together to plan and celebrate other cheerleaders’ birthdays.
The podcast host offered some reassurance, saying, “And you deserve that same hype from true friends.”
However, other DCC members are now speaking out, offering a different perspective on the birthday incident.
Via a TikTok comment on a clip of the podcast episode, cheerleader Jessica Bowman wrote, “Would have loved to have been there to celebrate Victoria had I been given the opportunity. Praying she comes to realize how much the team really did support her❤️.”
Her former DCC teammates McKenzie Sherman, Kelcey Wetterberg, and Yevgeniya ‘Zhenya’ Kolpakova all concurred with Jessica in their own TikTok messages. According to them, Kalina never invited them to her birthday festivities.
“We take bdays very seriously around here & would have been there if we had known! We decorated her locker per Dcc tradition, but we wish we could have been given the opportunity to be at her party,” Wetterberg wrote.
Sherman commented, “We would have absolutely rallied around her.” Kolpakova added, “It breaks my heart that it has come to this. I hope you know that we support you, love you, and would never have just not shown up to your birthday.”
@victoriakalina5678 Dancing into another year🩷 Cheers to 24!! XOXO💕 #dallas #cowboys #dallascowboys #dallascowboyscheerleaders #dcc #dancer #dance #dancinggirl #prodance #dccheerleader #nfl #football #pink #birthdaygirl #letsgo #decorations #celebrate