It feels like it has been years since the first season ofAmerica’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaderswas released onNetflix, but it’s only been roughly a year. Now that the sports television series has returned with its second season, the hard work, pressure, excitement, and drama continue. After the many scandals attached to the other widely loved cheerleading docu-series on Netflix,Cheer,America’s Sweetheartsalmost seems innocent compared to it.
However, the documentary has many unsettling moments and even more touching stories, focusing on the problems of team members. While the long and tiring process of choosing who will make the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team takes on the bulk of Season 1 and Season 2, there are also moments from actual game days and performances that are interesting to follow.
Apart from the cheerleading aspect, though, the Netflix original series also explores a few individual stories of some members in more detail. The cheer squad features many inspiring, dedicated, and popular women, but there is one in particular whose story stuck with fans of the series. The series introducedVictoria Kalinaas one of the brightest stars on the team, butAmerica’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleadersreveals that she was on a difficult journey. The issues she was fighting with led her to leave cheerleading behind, so, without further ado,let’s find out where Victoria from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is now.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Looking at the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and seeing their off-the-charts energy, their role inthe elite sisterhood, their impressive dedication, their big smiles, and even bigger hair, it is difficult to acknowledge that it’s not all straight out of a fairytale.Victoria, in particular, was a driving force in Season 1 and also in Season 2, where she shed light on the darkness of being a part of one of the most famous cheerleading teams in the world. Quite early on, the talented dancer and performer opened up about her struggles with body image and feeling like she didn’t fit in.
Victoria’s time as a part of the cheer squad for the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys began in 2019, when she made the team for the first time. A year prior, the showDallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Teamcaptured the tearful moment when she got cut. However, Victoria found her way into the team as a rookie, and she also returned as a cheerleader in 2020. She took a year-long hiatus after struggling with an eating disorder, but returned for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Since the last one became the foundation for the Netflix series, it quickly became clear that Victoria was struggling more than was visible.America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaderstackles a few sensitive subjects, butVictoria’s difficulties with her body image and fueling it took on a central role.
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Victoria revealed that she felt isolated and under pressure, while, at the same time, she didn’t know how to connect with her squad members or prove that she had the dedication to become a team leader. While the dancer mentioned the burden that comes with being the daughter of a legacy team member and others looking at her as though she gets favors, she didn’t get into too much detail regarding her eating disorder. Eventually, she still acknowledged the sometimestoxic environment in cheer competitionsand the Dallas Cowboys organization in general, leading her to quit the team and not return for the 2024 season.
Where Is Victoria From the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Now?
The new season of America’s most loved cheerleading series revealed a rather strange fact. Victoria has seemingly been thriving andempowering young womenever since she left the toxic environment of the cheer squad.She radiates her old joy, and she looks like she managed to rid herself of the heavy pressure weighing on her shoulders. She seems lighter, freer. Her mother, on the other hand? Oh boy. Tina Kalina is a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader’s legacy, and, on top of everything, Coach Kelli Finnglass' best friend. She has already appeared in Season 1 of the Netflix original series, where old photos and videos gave insight into her career with the team.
Tina was an active cheerleader in 1984, 1988, and 1989, but she has been a part of the organization for many, many years. Seeing her daughter continue to live her dream must have been thrilling in many ways, but, as it so often happens, it can quickly turn toxic as well. Victoria was struggling, but she fought hard to succeed andfollow in her mother’s footsteps. See where this is going? In Episodes 2 and 10 ofAmerica’s SweetheartsSeason 2,Tina breaks down in tears (numerous times), as she grapples with the reality of her daughter’s decision to leave the Dallas cheerleading environment behind and cut ties with her teammates, coach, and anyone else involved.
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While it sure seems like Tina is caught in a minor crisis now, somewhat losing her ties to her dream and still supporting her daughter, Victoria is thriving. The series, with a100% Rotten Tomatoes score, reveals the ex-cheerleader’s new dream and briefly follows her as she takes the first few steps to realizing it. Victoria decided to move to New York City andaudition for the Rockettes. Her mother wasn’t hesitant to point out how difficult it was to get in. Some backhanded support, perhaps, but it is still obvious that Victoria’s mother is excited for her.
Victoria is dedicated, and the series on Netflix has proven that. She auditioned for the group in the spring of 2025 and, unfortunately, was rejected. However, the dancer is dedicated to working hard for it, as she teaches dance lessons, improves her skills in preparation for the new audition process, and grows her presence on social media.Victoria from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is beyond thriving. She inspires her fans to stand up for themselves, to know they are enough, and to believe in themselves to achieve their dreams.America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleadersis available to stream onNetflix.
