‘Cheer’ Star Monica Aldama Addresses Importance of Addressing Sexual Misconduct Scandal in Season 2

Cheer Season 2 premiered on Netflix last week, and the series is currently ranked No. 2 on the streaming service’s top 10 list. One of the episodes that stand out in Season 2 is the midseason episode that focuses on the sexual abuse allegations made against Jerry Harris. Entertainment Tonight caught up with Cheer star and Navarro College coach Monica Aldama who talked about the powerful and emotional episode. 

“It was tough to watch,” she said. “But, you know, having the victims be able to talk and tell their story is very important for our industry… As tough as it is to talk about, here it’s necessary in order for us to make our industry safer.” Harris denies the allegations against him but remains in prison as he awaits trial. In the episode, Aldama said that Harris wrote her a letter but that she has not written him back. “It’s just a very difficult situation,” she said.

The second season of Cheer is different from the first due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Season 1 took a look at Navarro and its road to winning the 2019 NCA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship. The first season premiered in January 2020, the second season shows the aftermath of fans catching on to the series and the Navarro cheerleaders becoming stars. But the season also shows the impact of COVID-19 as the 2020 championship was canceled. It then shows Navarro and rival school Trinity Valley Community College training for the 2021 championship. Trinity Valley appeared in the first season but is now featured in Season 2. 

“I didn’t know much of her because I hadn’t seen the show,” Trinity Valley coach Vontae Johnson told PopCulture.com when asked about her thoughts on Aldama. “I hadn’t seen the first season, so I didn’t really get to understand who she was as a coach. “But I’m always going to have a tremendous amount of respect for her because of what she’s done with that program. 

“One of the biggest reasons obviously, I wanted to coach was because I wanted to be able to beat her because how great she was and how successful she was. But no, even after obviously seeing Season 2, I still just don’t know much about her.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.