The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are receiving a long-awaited pay increase, a 400% raise, years after current and former members drew attention to low wages and compensation inequities.
The raise was announced in the second season of the Netflix series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, which follows hopefuls and veterans vying for a spot on the high-profile team.
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WATCH HEREErica Wilkins, a former cheerleader who sued the Cowboys in 2018 over unfair pay, was among those reacting to the news.
“We were getting paid $8 an hour,” Wilkins said in an interview. “It was scary. It was hard. It came at a great personal cost.”
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SIGN UP Wilkins' lawsuit led to a 2019 settlement that doubled the squad’s game-day rate from $200 to $400 and raised hourly wages to $12. The latest pay increase goes even further, though the exact dollar amounts were not made public.
On the show, cheerleaders described working multiple jobs to make ends meet, despite the rigorous time commitment and physical demands of the role.
“I’m extremely grateful to have been a part of the start of that journey and progress,” Wilkins said. “These beautiful, talented women deserve it.”
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The team’s cheerleaders have been a global brand fixture for more than 60 years, often cited as the gold standard in NFL cheerleading.
In a statement, the Cowboys said, "We're pleased, as you'll see in the series, that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were happy with the outcome."
