Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader (DCC) Reece Weaver's sudden retirement announcement in Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' Season 3 has drawn speculation, especially with fans blaming her husband for her decision, which left Weaver frustrated.  

Some fans speculate that her husband, Will Allman, and their religious faith may have something to do with her stepping away from the squad. Weaver clarified in a Wall Street Journal interview that it was her own decision to be away from the spotlight.

“It makes me frustrated, because that could not be more far from the truth,” Weaver said, per Ellen Gamerman of the Wall Street Journal. “He was so supportive, no matter what decision I made.” 

Allman, during the same interview, said that such criticism doesn't affect him as he believes people will find something else to blame when he is not in the picture.

“Reece is a bunch of people’s favorites,” Allman said in the same interview with the Wall Street Journal. “Those people are going to find something else to blame if I wasn’t there, so it doesn’t really affect me a whole lot.”

Weaver's personal life and her doubts regarding staying with the DCC squad were shown throughout season 3 of Netflix's America's Sweethearts.

The couple explained in the show that Weaver's rise in popularity following the Netflix show brought a lot of sponsorship offers and business opportunities, making them face a new reality together.

“We were literally thrown to the wolves ’cause immediately, people were messaging Reece wanting her to do this, wanting her to do that," Allman said, per E! News.

As someone who was monitoring her social media account and also acted as a content manager of sorts, Allman felt as if they were in a professional relationship with Weaver rather than leading a married life.

“These are really cool opportunities that we can’t really pass up, but it got to a point where I was telling Reece what to do,” Allman said, per E! News. “You need to do this. This is the deadline for this.’ It became more like a business partnership rather than a marriage.”

With Weaver insisting her retirement was a personal decision, she is now set to turn her attention to other goals, which include writing a book and pursuing other passions beyond cheerleading, with full support from her husband.

Why Reece Weaver walked away from the spotlight

During an interview with ELLE's Radhika Menon, Weaver shared one of the major reasons for stepping away from the spotlight, despite being a fan-favorite of the show.

“When the show came out and had such a great response, it was so encouraging and super, super exciting,” Weaver said on June 20, per ELLE. “But it also came with a lot of challenges, with social media and people having a very loud opinion.” 

She expressed her desire to go back to her conservatory tracks of dance: classical, ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and specifically theater-style dance, after retiring. She also discussed her plans to publish a book, which she is currently working on.

Weaver recently relocated to Alabama with her husband to prioritize family life, while continuing to pursue her dream of performing in the Broadway musical Chicago.

Is the pressure of social media getting to be too much for modern athletes and cheerleaders? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore