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'Cheer' Coach Monica Aldama Sued for Sexual Assault Cover-Up by Former Cheerleader
It’s been over a year since Netflix’s competitive cheerleading docuseries, Cheer, became a smash hit. The six-part series has been credited with finally giving the sport the acknowledgement it deserves, highlighting the largest stage in competitive college cheerleading — the NCA National Championships held each year in Daytona, Florida. Cheer follows the journey of several young athletes on the Navarro College cheer team, which is the 14-time winner of the Daytona competition and widely considered to be the top team in the nation. Audiences were enamored with not only the intensity and grit of the sport itself, but the impressive young adults highlighted on the Navarro team.
Before Cheer, the only depictions of cheerleaders in the media largely consisted of shallow, popular teenagers who leveraged their looks for social dominance, in lieu of more substantial virtues. The series has certainly dispelled any notions of cheerleaders as caricature of the phrase, “peaked in high school.” The Navarro cheerleaders are just getting started. So, what have the stars of Cheer been up to since the series wrapped?
Monica Aldama
Let’s start at the top with Navarro College Bulldogs coach, Monica Aldama. Not much has changed for the beloved coach and mentor. She’s still the head coach at Navarro on track to lead the team to yet another title, but now she can say she’s been on Dancing with the Stars! Aldama appeared on the 29th season of the show and was eliminated on week seven. We’re sure to see her running into the Daytona Beach ocean holding another enormous trophy, as soon as the pandemic will allow.
Mackenzie 'Sherbs' Sherburn
Next up is Sherbs! Poor girl’s most notable moment of the series was the terrifying moment (caught on camera) where the “flyer” was dropped from a trick and dislocated her elbow. Just weeks before the Navarro team headed to Daytona, Mackenzie, or “Sherbs,” as she is known by her teammates, suffered a serious injury and was unable to compete, forcing Coach Monica to reconfigure the entire routine. Despite the traumatic injury, Sherbs is all healed up and cheering for Texas Tech University. Because Navarro is a junior college, it’s quite common for students to transfer to a four-year university after cheering for Navarro for two years. If you look closely at her Instagram photos, you’ll notice she wears an elbow brace while cheering these days.
Lexi Brumback
Lexi garnered attention on Cheer for her sharp tumbling skills, as well as her struggles outside the sport. At the beginning of the series, we learn that Lexi has spent time in jail for getting into fights. Fans were heartbroken to see Lexi kicked off the Navarro team in the final episode because of more legal trouble, after helping the team succeed in Daytona. She was reportedly arrested for having “illegal stuff” in her car when pulled over by police. Thankfully, the charges have since been dropped and Monica has decided to give Lexi another chance to be on the team. After Cheer premiered on Netflix in January 2020, Lexi shared on Instagram that she was back on the team for another season.
Jerry Harris
This is a rough one. Jerry Harris, who was arguably the most sympathetic figure on the show, has since been arrested on child pornography charges. Harris, 21, was charged with “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.” Harris started cheering to cope with grief after the death of his mother and was known for his unfailingly good attitude on the show. The Navarro team has released a statement condemning his behavior, implying he is no longer a part of the team despite having another year of eligibility. Harris, if convicted, could serve up to 30 years in prison.
Gabi Butler
Gabi was a superstar in the competitive and All-Star cheerleading world before Cheer, and her stardom has only increased since the series debuted on Netflix. While her parents received backlash for exploiting their daughter’s fame and profiting off her image, Gabi herself was an instant fan favorite. She is often referred to in series as a legendary athlete who is capable of pulling off just about any trick. While Cheer certainly showcases Gabi’s talent, the show was praised for presenting a holistic image of her success. The show witnesses Gabi’s struggles with perfectionism, anxiety, and even burnout. Fans were ecstatic to hear that Gabi was returning to Navarro for the 2020 season, despite her involvement in other competition circuits. Unfortunately, along with just about every other thing we were looking forward to, the Daytona competition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic last April. Gabi is still cheering though, and the postponed season leaves her with one remaining year of eligibility. She also has enjoyed a significant boost to her Instagram following since appearing on the show. With 1.6 million followers, Gabi has become a social media influencer who promotes companies within and beyond the cheerleading community.
Morgan Simianer
Morgan may have started out as an underdog on the Navarro team, but she quickly became the star of the show and our hearts. Her emotional backstory and grit (not to mention performing through those rib fractures), made her the stand out figure of the series. Morgan did return to Navarro for the 2020 season, but decided to leave cheerleading after the cancellation of that competition cycle. She graduated college in May of last year and has since become a full-time social media influencer. With 1.2 million Instagram followers, Morgan is certainly making a good living off of product endorsements and has had several big brand deals. Morgan recently went viral on TikTok after posting a “flyer flexibility challenge.” While her social media presence is thriving, her cheerleading skills haven’t held up quite as well. She captioned the video “I don’t know how I was a cheerleader.” Morgan seems to have lost a lot of flexibility since we saw her in Cheer, but what does that matter? No need for perfect splits when you’re an influencer.
