REECE WEAVER MAKES BROADWAY DEBUT IN CHICAGO AFTER LEAVING DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS - FANS GIVE VERDICT

She captured the hearts of millions as the breakout star of Netflix's America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and now Reece Weaver is proving she truly is America's sweetheart - this time on Broadway. Fans have been sharing their reactions following her highly anticipated stage debut, and the verdict is overwhelmingly glowing.

Reece first won over audiences in the documentary series' debut season, which followed both aspiring and experienced cheerleaders through tryouts and training camp. Her story was unlike any other - a small-town Alabama girl who had never even set foot in a Starbucks, she transformed before viewers' eyes into a poised, outspoken young woman willing to advocate for better compensation within the organization. She became the face of the show, and for many, the soul of it.

That is what made her announcement all the more surprising. After just three years with the squad - well short of the five years most Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders typically serve - Reece revealed she was walking away.

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In a candid conversation with Netflix's publication Tudum, she opened up about the toll that fame had taken. She said the primary reason for leaving was the relentless pressure of feeling like she had to be "on" at all times, and a creeping anxiety that people who met her in real life might be let down by who she was off camera.

She added: "Everyone has a right to their opinion, but some opinions are extremely loud and hurtful. The pressure of going to a game and knowing seconds later, as soon as the game ends, you're going to see lots of videos of you, it's constant pressure.

"If I mess up, it's going to be online. All that really adds up. There's a lot of people that speculate that this wasn't necessarily my decision, like other outside things were pulling me. I've been wrestling with this decision all throughout this past year and a lot of it came from just having a heart full of gratitude."

Just months following her departure, though, Reece announced she would be stepping into the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre in New York.

Weaver is scheduled to perform the part for six weeks until October 18, with her debut performance taking place on Monday, September 7.

Clips from the production were posted on Chicago's official social media channels, sparking hundreds of reactions from fans weighing in on her performance.

One viewer commented: "Her stage presence is UNREAL" Another said: "If you don't extend her run we will riiiiiiot she was born for broadway."

A third remarked: "She was MADE for the stage."

Meanwhile, a fourth noted: "From America's Sweethearts to America's Sweetheart."

2026-09-08T08:45:48Z