Earlier this week, Cheer star Jada Wooten took to Instagram to allege that Rebel Athletic apparel brand representatives asked her not to come to previously scheduled meet and greet events. The former Trinity Valley cheer captain went on to say that she was also not invited to attend scheduled appearances at NCA or Cheersport, which she had planned to attend with other members of the show. One of the photos included in her post featured an overlay of a quote about someone not fitting a brand, and many of her followers assume that it was taken from a letter to Jada from Rebel Athletics.
Jada, along with several other Trinity Valley and Navarro cheerleaders featured on the Emmy-winning series, signed a contract with Rebel Apparel prior to the season’s release, to participate in a number of photoshoots and live events. Jada claims that the company knew at the time which athletes would be featured in the new season, but had yet to see any of the episodes. She says that once the new season aired, Rebel reps changed their minds about wanting her to be involved.
According to the 2021 NCA Cheerleading champ, the reason for revoking her invitation was the bad language that she had used on the show. While specific examples have not been stated, Jada’s Instagram post alleges that the company’s letter accused her of using “too much foul language” which is not in keeping with their brand. She also included a quote, “Moms won’t want their daughter’s taking pictures with you,” which she claims came from the company. Rebel employees responded to the cheerleader’s claims in a statement to Vulture, stating that due “to her choice of words in Cheer Season 2, and our median audience being 8 to 10 years old, we asked her to sit out 3 meet and greet events that would attract a younger audience.”
However, the company maintains that they did not dissolve their partnership with Jada, who had been one of the Cardinals’ most skilled athletes. Rebel reps insist that they hoped to incorporate her into other events, and expressed interest in featuring her in lookbooks for their new TVCC merchandise. However, according to the company, “Jada choose to decline those offers, and instead she asked to terminate her relationship with Rebel in its entirety.“
The lengthy post on the Cheer star’s page further implied that she had been given the impression that she was “too much” and that she needed to “clean up her language” in order to represent Rebel Athletics. Jada shared that she would not change who she is to appease anyone: “Because you know what? It never stops there. There will always be one more “too much.” The brazen Cheer tumbler’s post was concluded with a photo quote defining rebellion as having the courage to be oneself, rather than what society wants one to be.
Jada wants Cheer fans to know that they are all perfect just as they are. She advises them to find a tribe that will accept them for who they are, without being compelled to change to make anyone else happy. She encourages her followers to trust that they will eventually find places where they fit in. This is a mantra she plans to live by herself as well.
Sources: Jada Wooten/Instagram, Vulture