Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Chandi Dayle Is Rebuilding After Hitting Rock Bottom https://t.co/ZT1kWXx2ai
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) July 2, 2025
Sixth year vet Chandi talks about the drama in the Bahamas, the aftermath, and what she’s doing now:
the Bahamas trip
On the show, Chandi said she met someone who “shared similar things that have happened in our past” so she confided in him. She admitted doing this on a team trip was “probably the wrong place and time to do that. But selfishly, I had to do it for me. Because I feel like I was losing it.” She told Vanity Fair that there wasn’t much more to that story than what was shown on AS: DCC and that she did not cheat on her boyfriend with this new friend. She said that she and her ex got closure after filming ended and they are still friends. VF asked if she is still in touch with the new friend she met in the Bahamas and she said, “Yeah, I am there for my friend. I hope that I can be a rock for others.”
the aftermath
She missed several games of the season to deal with her mental health, but during that time “I found the therapist that I love today…who has healed me in ways I didn’t think I could be. I was happy to cheer on the girls from afar.”
on watching the events of her life unfold on season 2
“What was hard was just watching myself not be okay—and that’s a point I wanted to make throughout the season, where it’s okay not to be okay. Everyone’s going to hit a rock bottom at some point, but that’s where you lean on others. And someone’s always in your corner.”
Dayton talks about not making the team in S2 (as well as her previous two attempts) and what she’s been up to:
previous auditions
Dayton’s first DCC audition in 2017 was unsuccessful and she did not make it to training camp. She said being cut made her realize she really wanted to do this so she auditioned again in 2018. She made it to training camp but was cut again. Both of these were filmed for the CMT show Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. She said she was shocked by how she came across on tv during her first attempt, so she tried to come out of her shell and be more mature the second time she auditioned. She said watching herself on the second season of DCC: MTT was even worse because the show made her storyline seem like she was in her mom’s shadow and that her mom came across as a controlling helicopter parent. She said, “That took a big toll on me. I had some confusion in my identity for a good few months after seeing that.”
in between
After her first two DCC auditions, she danced on a cruise ship and then came back to Texas and worked at some “standard, regular jobs” at a hair salon, a boutique, and a nail salon. She said, “I was being a normal person, which did not work for me. I was getting so bored.” She said that she was afraid to teach dance because she didn’t want people to think that she was trying to be like her mom, so she started teaching fitness classes instead.
AS: DCC S2
While teaching fitness classes, she realized: “If I never give DCC another shot, I will regret it for the rest of my life because it’s eating me alive. I thought, Do this for you. Do this in your way. Show yourself you are not your mom or whoever everyone else wants to compare you to. That’s really what got me to get on that horse right away.” She only told her family and her best friend (Kelli’s daughter) that she was going to audition again. Her mom is still friends with a lot of former DCC and although Dayton knew they would be supportive, she felt that if they knew it would just create more pressure for her. She said her mom was very surprised that she wanted to audition again.
after AS: DCC S2
Dayton decided to audition a fourth time. She said she was given the opportunity to watch AS: DCC S2 before the 2025 auditions but she decided against seeing it beforehand because she didn’t know how it would affect her while she was trying to focus for this year’s auditions. She was not selected for training camp. She said that was definitely her final attempt to become a DCC.
what’s next
She wants to continue dancing, and she would love to dance on Broadway and the West End.
What does the much touted 400% raise actually mean?
In the not so recent past, DCC were not paid for rehearsal time or training camp and the dancers were paid a flat rate of $150 per home game. This was pretty standard at the time. In 2014, PBS reported that most NFL teams paid their cheerleaders $75 to $150 per game.
When Erika Wilkins filed a lawsuit in 2018, DCC were being paid $8/hr for rehearsals. For comparison, the minimum wage in Dallas in 2018 was $7.25/hr. As a result of Erika’s lawsuit, the rehearsal rate for DCC was raised to $12/hr for rehearsals and their game day pay was increased to $400 in 2019. After the pandemic, the rehearsal rate was raised to $15/hr and by 2022, the game rate was $500 which made the DCC among the highest paid NFL cheerleaders. Jada confirmed to the New York Times that during the 2024 season, the rehearsal rate was still $15/hr.
The dancers are paid $100-$500 for appearances. This is tiered based on seniority – 1st year DCCs are paid $100, 2nd years are paid $200, etc).
Thanks to the raise that the 2024 group leaders pushed for, the rehearsal rate is now $20/hr. The 2025 season is the first year that the group leaders are being paid extra for their work. They are now paid $25/hr for rehearsals. The info released for 2025 auditions said that compensation for appearances such as game days is now $100/hr.
I realized today that although I made a post when S2 premiered, I forgot to do a follow up post the next week so everyone could discuss the season. I know it’s been a few weeks, but feel free to discuss the season here!
