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Stars of Cheer Recount Reactions to Teammate Jerry Harris' Sex Crimes Arrest: 'My Heart Completely Sank'
Jim Spellman/Getty Images Jerry Harris
Netflix's hit documentary series about the world of competitive cheerleading has returned to the streaming service for a second installment — and doesn't shy away from addressing the arrest of one of the first season's biggest stars.
Jerry Harris, 22, quickly received media attention after Cheer's first season premiered in January 2020, drawing fans due to his positive demeanor and inspirational attitude despite a challenging youth. The Navarro College cheerleader was covering the Oscars red carpet for Ellen DeGeneres and video chatting with now-President Joe Biden within months of the series' debut.
So fans, and his own teammates, were shocked when, in September 2020, two underage twin brothers filed a lawsuit against him for allegedly sexually abusing them and demanding nude photographs from them. That same month, Harris was arrested on a federal charge for allegedly producing child pornography. He is accused of "enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself," according to a statement from federal officials.
Then, in December of that year, prosecutors charged Harris with receiving and attempting to receive child pornography and four counts of using, persuading, inducing and enticing a minor "to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct," according to an indictment. He was also charged with one count of using the internet to allegedly "persuade, induce, and entice" one of the minors to engage in sexual activity.
(Reps for Harris have not addressed the charges against Harris but said in response to the brothers' lawsuit in 2020, "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 fifth episode of season two of Cheer is dedicated to the allegations against Harris and also highlights his teammates' reactions to the charges.
"Immediately my heart completely sank I honestly thought I was living in a bad dream. I could not wrap my head around any of that. I felt like someone had just died," Gabi Butler says in the episode, with teammate La'Darius Marshall, 23, telling viewers he called her and the athlete was "balling."
Continues Butler, 23, "I completely broke down. I was literally screaming and crying at the same time. And I remember Maddy [Brum] came out of her apartment and she just hugged me."
Marshall, like many of his teammates, admits to being totally in the dark about Harris' alleged behavior. He also asserts, "I don't care how famous you are, how much money you got, I don't care how much people love you. That [doesn't] give you the right to do stuff like this. Especially when one of your best friends you know went through something like that."
Says James Thomas, "I kinda just sunk into a hole and cried. And cried and cried and cried. And then I called my mom .. asking her 'How?' … Like, I don't understand. He never said anything about this stuff to me. And like I could have helped stop or guide him somewhere else."
Navarro coach Monica Aldama, who has previously spoken out about Harris and the allegations, was competing on Dancing with the Stars' 29th season in California when the news broke. She says being informed, "was like an out-of-body experience" and left her feeling breathless.
RELATED: Cheer Star Jerry Harris Pleads Not Guilty in Sexual Misconduct Case
"We had a team meeting that night and it really felt like a funeral and I've never seen the kids cry so hard. It was just an awful situation," she recounts in the episode.
Aldama says she considers Harris like her "own child," which has left her with conflicting emotions. She also reveals that Harris, who is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City while awaiting trial, wrote her a letter, which she was unsure how to respond to.
"I just was really caught off guard at the hope he had for the future," admits Aldama.
RELATED VIDEO: Cheer Star Jerry Harris Arrested on Federal Child Pornography Charge
Near the end of the episode, Butler emotionally outlines the mixed emotions many of the Navarro cheerleaders feel about Harris.
"I don't agree with what he was accused of or condone it at all and it is very unfortunate and it breaks my heart, but it's literally like your family," says Butler. "How are you gonna just hate your family? So I feel like people expect me to be like, 'Well you should hate him and you should never speak to him again,' but the thing is, I can't. Like, I cannot, and I won't. I can't turn my back on him because he was there for me when I needed it."
According to Netflix, Harris' legal team was approached "on a number of occasions" but declined to be interviewed on camera for Cheer.
The episode also features interviews with the twins who accused Harris — Charlie and Sam (their last name is not included as they are minors) — and their mother Kristin, and outlines their allegations against him, which include Harris allegedly requesting nude photos from Charlie when the latter was only 13. Charlie also claims that Harris allegedly cornered him and attempted to pressure him into having sex at a cheerleading event. Both boys detail being afraid to push back or speak out because of Harris' star power and how it would affect the cheer community and their relationships within it.
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Kristin also claims she filed reports of the incidents with Harris to the U.S. All Star Federation on two occasions, and never received a response. Comment from the federation is not included in the Cheer episode.
In addition, Sarah Klein, an attorney and advocate for victims of sexual abuse, talks about her own experience with sexual abuse as a gymnast and pushes for change in competitive cheerleading.
"Children should be able to engage in the sport of cheer," she says. "They should be able to have heroes in the sports of cheer. That's not what this is about and that's not what we're trying to take away. What we're trying to do is tell the truth and what we're trying to do is keep children safe."
Season two of Cheer is currently streaming on Netflix.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
