Cheer’s Biggest Controversies: Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Jerry Harris’ Scandal and More

There have been a lot of ups and downs – on and off screen – for the cast of Cheer.

Netflix viewers were introduced to Monica Aldama and the Navarro College cheerleaders when the docuseries dropped on the streamer in January 2020. Following the show’s initial success, the series was renewed for a second season.

After an uplifting season 1, season 2 took a dark turn when Navarro standout Jerry Harris was arrested on charges of child pornography in September 2020. While Harris initially pleaded not guilty, he ended up changing his plea to guilty to the allegations of child sex abuse.

Harris’ arrest was hardly the first scandal that has haunted the series. Keep scrolling to see more of the biggest controversies from the Cheer cast:

Lexi Brumback’s Legal Trouble

Navarro student Brumback was kicked off the team at the end of season 1 after she was pulled over and allegedly had illegal substances in her car. The charges against the cheerleader were reportedly dropped and she was able to rejoin the team.

“Her coach reached out to me and her mom and her grandmother, everyone wanted her back at Navarro, of course,” Aldama exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2020. “I even said at the end of the series that I felt like that I still needed some time with her because she was doing so well. She did get into a bit of a trouble and that was all dropped. She did have to sit out in the fall semester and I felt like she had enough time to reflect on it and learn from it. She’s doing great and she’s really happy to be back here, and I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.”

Jerry Harris’ Arrest and Child Pornography Scandal

Following Harris’ breakout season, Us confirmed in September 2020 that the athlete was arrested and charged with production of child pornography following an FBI investigation. Three months after his arrest, Harris pleaded not guilty to seven felony charges — four counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of enticement, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with a minor.

Harris later changed his plea to guilty on two counts out of the seven counts he was indicted on. Following his July 2022 hearing, Harris was sentenced to 12 years behind bars. He is currently serving time at FMC Lexington in Kentucky.

Mitchell Ryan’s Sexual Assault Charges

In February 2021, former Navarro member Ryan, who was featured in season 1, was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was accused of inviting a minor over to his apartment to perform cheer stunts and allegedly assaulting her.

“Mitch and his family were surprised by this arrest,” Ryan’s attorney, Jeremy Rosenthal, told CNN at the time. “There are two sides to every story and we are confident Mitch’s name will be cleared.”

Seven months later, a grand jury declined to indict the athlete, per USA Today. According to the Dallas Morning News, the decision came after the grand jury ruled there was not enough evidence to prosecute the case.

Monica Aldama Accused of Covering Up Sexual Assault

Head coach Aldama was named in an April 2023 lawsuit for allegedly concealing a sexual assault. Former squad member Madi Lane claimed she told the coach she was sexually assaulted by a teammate during her first semester. Lane alleged that Aldama told her to “not make this a big deal,” which led her to quit the team. Aldama refuted the allegations. One month after news broke of the scandal, Aldama was suspended by USA Cheer as an investigation took place.

In November 2023, Aldama shared that the lawsuit against her was dismissed after the complaint made against her with Cheer USA was closed.

Monica Aldama’s Son’s Child Porn Arrest

Us confirmed in January 2024 that Aldama’s son, Austin, was arrested and charged with possession of child porn. Shortly after the news broke, he was released on bail but had not been arraigned per TMZ.

“The attention drawn to this case, fueled solely by the celebrity status of his mother, is an egregious attempt to distort the truth” read a statement from Austin’s legal team. “Let us be absolutely clear — Austin is innocent. The charges against him lack legal merit, and we are confident that the facts, which will prove his innocence, will come to light during the legal proceedings.”