In 2020, Netflix released a docuseries called Cheer. It followed the lives of Navarro College’s competitive cheerleading squad. The group, set in Texas and led by Coach Monica Aldama, was an instant success. And with that success, came a few breakout stars. One such star was the always upbeat Jerry Harris.
Fans loved him and couldn’t get enough. So they were collectively heartbroken when the news broke that Jerry was arrested. Jerry received a federal charge of allegedly producing child pornography. A statement from federal officials accused Jerry of “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.” Additional charges followed and it rocked fans and of course, the Navarro cheer team.
Now Monica is opening up about how she found out about the charges and how they affected her. As reported by People, Monica spoke with Tamron Hall on an episode of her talk show. Monica revealed that she was busy preparing for a live Dancing with the Stars show when she found out. She said an executive producer pulled her aside to tell her about the allegations against Jerry.
Said Monica, who was tapped to compete on the 29th season of DWTS, “I was on the stage. We were about to go into the full dress rehearsal and that’s when the executive producer came up to me and asked me if I had seen the headlines and, of course, I had not.”
She continued, “I was just taken aback and it kind of took the breath out of me for a minute and all I could read is the headline. I couldn’t read the actual article. I still haven’t read the actual article. I told her I couldn’t even look at that until I got finished with the show that night.” Monica admitted, “I couldn’t read anything. I had to stay emotionally strong because I was already a wreck thinking about doing Dancing with the Stars. I just tried to hold back until I got through that night and let all the emotions pour in.”
Monica revealed that her “heart was just all over the place.” She also struggled with not being “physically in Texas” with her team. She confessed, “That also was really weighing on me. You know not physically being able to be with the team and the people who I felt like we needed to lean on each other and we did as best we could.” So she took to FaceTime to discuss the incident with her team. Said Monica, “It was awful honestly. I never witnessed sadness like that.”
Jerry is currently being sued by two underage twin brothers who claim they were sexually abused by the star. A spokesperson for Jerry released a statement that said, “We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager. We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”
The second season of Cheer was recently released on Netflix and will follow the team in their quest for another championship. It will also address the fallout of the allegations against Jerry.
TELL US – ARE YOU WATCHING SEASON 2 OF CHEER? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAY THE SERIES HANDLED THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST JERRY?
[Photo Credit: Jim Spellman/Getty Images]
