The Story: The Rise and Fall of Netflix's 'Cheer' Coach Monica Aldama
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
- Writer Sarah Hepola spent eighteen months on this story and discusses how Navarro cheer coach Monica Aldama has been “tested beyond reason.”
In 2020, Netflix released a show about a ragtag team of competitive cheerleaders from a small-town Texas junior college under the direction of a tough but loving coach. Cheer became an instant cultural sensation. But as quickly as the cast’s popularity soared, scandals began to mount. In this episode of the Story, Sarah Hepola recounts the challenges of covering the roller-coaster reputation of Navarro cheer for Texas Monthly‘s May 2024 cover feature: “What ‘Cheer’ Led to: How Viral Fame Upended Monica Aldama’s Life.”
FULL STORY: www.texasmonthly.com/arts-ent...
Uhhhh are we not going to mention the heinous charges against her son??? That story also somehow miraculously disappeared out of circulation. I’m sure she helped cover that up too
Yup and being that they’re from Texas….the “holier than thou” state, and Monica is religious…..it’s ironic that she covers up her sons crimes, meanwhile in the church it’s a well known thing that there’s been over a thousand confirmed cases of sexual abuse, and sexual assault by priests and the clergy against children.
What happened with her son?
He was arrested and charged with possessing child sex abuse images.
@@denisem5907 the most vile of vile material was found on his hard drive. Read the court records at your own risk it made me sick to my stomach
What about her SON BEING ARRESTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN?!?!?1 😢😢😢
Just because they dropped her from the lawsuit doesn't mean she didn't help cover shit up
Ummm what about the allegations against her son!?! As a parent that would rock me more than anything else that happened
This is the biggest piece of PR for her I’ve ever seen
I like how they just skip over the whole situation with Monica's son.
This is a bizarre video that treats being dropped from a lawsuit as tantamount to total vindication and exonerated of any wrongdoing. That didn’t happen, so why is it being presented as such? And why are other publications being belittled as if their scrutiny of the reputation she made for herself is now their responsibility to rehabilitate???
Well, when attorneys meet and agree to remove a defendant from a suit, we can split hairs about whether that exonerates or redeems someone, but it does tell us that there's not enough evidence that she personally did all the things she was accused of doing in the legal filings -- and that's good enough for me. I don't see Monica as an angel, but suspect some of her colleagues at the college did far worse than anything she did.
Thank you for sharing this story. Very well done!
I used to be a competitive cheerleader and when the Netflix show Cheer came out, I could not get into it 🤷♀️
Why is that? Did it seem scripted or heavily edited?
@@SusieQZee I’m not sure I just got kinda bored with it don’t get me wrong they are a talented team but I didn’t find the show very interesting I guess.
I felt bored too! It felt super dramatic. I like cheerleader nation/generation better! It felt more upbeat. I don’t know how to describe it but Cheer felt so dark and serious vibes
@@twilightsun8109 I completely agree & yes Cheerleader Nation was such a great show!
@@cheleh87the main lady, Monica has the personality of a cardboard box.
Such an odd video
I feel like they should’ve expected for the show to be as big as it was because of Gabi Butler. I mean we all know Gabi’s story especially with being on Cali Smoed and she’s a huge cheerlebrity, so it makes sense the any show with someone like Gabi being on it…..it’s gonna be huge.
I feel sorry for Monica but if I was her I would never do it again. She not only possibly lose her marriage, her family, her likelihood and jobs. That's a lot to lose. It was one thing when Jerry did what he did. His actions couldn't account for the whole team but afterwards better so fade back out of the spotlight. Sad i enjoyed the show but sad.
The downfall of Gabby in contrast to Ladarious would have been good to touch on as well. He was always the villain until he wasn’t
Gabby had a downfall too
Jerry was not HER lowest point. That SA victim’s assault and subsequent coverup was not HER lowest point.
As a journalist I would expect a bit more perception when it comes to someone’s wording. I too work with the public and that type of speaking shows you what you need to know. Her concern is with herself, so for those people I reserve my sympathy as they supply themselves enough.
It’s those who can introspect and at the very least face that they may have played some role. Those who will ALWAYS put a victim first in the narrative because they recognize what actually mattered then…they deserve this “redemption” you speak of.
The downfall of Navarro’s reputation wasn’t the worst moment.
Be honest here. It was 2 young brothers separately beginning to feel predated on by Jerry, feeling like the worlds new fav could harm them.
It was the moment that victim had her bodily autonomy stolen.
GET A GRIP.
Well said
Why does this woman look like she’s about to cry talking about this?
I knew Monica was abusing all of them the second that show started. The nurse guy was like “what is she doing?” And this was just what she was willing to let us see on camera
If a young girl on a team you are responsible for overseeing is raped, you help her file charges with the police- it’s that simple. Then the legal system takes over … there’s no reason to cover it up because the district attorney will decide if there’s enough evidence to prosecute. This decision should be in the hands of the DA not a cheer coach. Really should have been a clear cut moral decision for Monica.
What about the allegations against her son? That was back in December so it could've have certainly been mentioned. Or the lawsuit Monica is now filing against the cheerleader who claimed Monicia helped cover up her SA? I understand how Aldama's reputation has been attacked but this piece comes across as one-sided in it's coverage.
This video told us little. I loved Monica and still wish her the best. Such a strong role model and leader to push those kids to such greatness and give some crappy little Texas school such a phenomenal reputation. Sh*t happens in any organization. Everyone has skeletons in their closet.
What about her son’s arrest for child sexually assault material? Why is she role modeling her son and cheerleaders to sexually abuse children? Starting to look like a pattern.
@@sargassum6190 "Role modeling her son and cheerleaders to sexually abuse children"? What on earth does that mean?
As a non-american I find the whole cheerleading thing a bit crazy. Maybe we should have boy colleges and girl colleges. The whole culture of fraternities and college parties, it's so crazy. So much sexual abuse at that age because these young people are going from the "adolescents" stage to the " emerging adult" stage. It's a mess with young people who lack poor impulse control.
Yes! I also find it scary that a lot of the more well known Navarro cheer students (expect for Lexi, and Ladarius because Lexi just kept to herself and Ladarius was the only bold one who called Monica out) went to or at least were affiliated with Cheer Athletics specifically the ones in Plano and there was allegations of sexual abuse there too. I don’t know why it’s okay for in cheerleading specifically competitive cheer, for grown adults to cheer with young teens. When Cheer Athletics went onto AGT, they got asked who was the youngest and who was the oldest…..there’s was an almost 30 year old man cheering on the same team as a 12-13 year old. Now I’m all for grown adults participating in activities like cheer to keep their bodies active, but being on the same team as a literal child….absolutely not.
There are a few colleges sprinkled in that are not co Ed. Wells college in upstate NY was a girls college until few years ago they let a few boys in. And Holbart and Williamston in upstate NY I believe might still be split up. Girls live on one end of campus and the boys are kept all the way on the other end. Yes I'm from NY 😊
Boy vs girl colleges wouldn't solve the issue since SA still exists between people of the same sex. The problem is that they are bad people who probably had terrible parents as well.
What about the victim’s redemption? How about the victims family? I wonder how the news outlets reporting on all of the lawsuits made the victim feel or how it impacted their family?
I wonder how those kids she verbally abused feel and how theyre lives have been changed because of her verbal abuse?
Booooooooo booooooooo tomato tomato boooooo im throwing tomatoes 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅
Strong agree. A totally bizarre video.
Thank you! I had to rewatch this because by the end I couldn’t honestly believe how clearly biased it was? Mind blowing.
Uh... the "victim" and her attorney are the ones who shared the whole thing with the media. Sooo... yeahhh... no sympathy there.
@@tixer8629 There are multiple victims in this story. Which one are you attempting (and failing) to discredit? Monica Aldama spoke to media for this exact story- so according to your logic, she’s discredited too, right?
@@Usernotfound31231 I'm not discrediting anyone other than the CZcams user who implied that the "news outlets" did something wrong by covering the story that the attorney for the alleged vicim of sex assault released to said "news outlets." You clearly can't follow logic.
This is so biased.
How ?
@@Deniseeee84she worked on the story for 18 months, and during her contact with her bonded or perhaps grew close and felt sympathy for her instead of remaining neutral.