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It might surprise some viewers, but Netflix’s reality series, America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, can be surprisingly emotional at times — especially when someone doesn’t make the team who really, really wants to be there. DCC associate choreographer Shelly Bramhall’s daughter, Dayton Bramhall, has auditioned again and again, and after she still didn’t have any luck for the 2026 season, her mom was devastated.
Dayton didn’t make the team (again) in season 3 of America’s Sweethearts.
Dayton has been trying out for DCC for the past five seasons, and though she has made it all the way to training camp before she was cut, that’s not what happened this time around.
During her latest audition, which was featured on season 3 of the show, Dayton seemed hopeful that she could finally be successful.
“I feel more myself, more grown up,” Dayton, 29, said. “I don’t feel like I’m trying to cut and paste into a different mold. I’m just being me, and that’s making it a whole lot easier to get through this round. I’m so happy to be here and happy to get another chance.”
Unfortunately, the fifth time was not the charm for Dayton, and after she found out she didn’t make the team again, she admitted, “I think I’m done.”
Her mom broke down in tears.
Shelly was a cheerleader for the organization herself, and works for them as a choreographer now, so it made it even more difficult for her to watch Dayton miss out on her dream again.
She told the cameras that she felt that “being a legacy was tainted” for her daughter, and couldn’t understand why the team’s director, Kelli Finglass, didn’t select Dayton for the team again after they’ve been friends for so many years.
“She did everything they asked her to do,” Shelly said on the show. “You take strangers that you don’t know and you can’t even give someone you held in the hospital a chance.”
For what it’s worth, it didn’t seem like it was an easy choice for Kelli to make.
“I can sleep at night because I know we gave her every opportunity and she did herself, too. She’s worked hard. It’s just sad that it didn’t work out,” Kelli said. “Dayton is a beautiful girl and she’s a beautiful dancer. The power and the ability to captivate and excite and ignite the space in which she’s dancing, I don’t think that’s her style of dance.”
Dayton seems proud of herself for trying.
Now that the new season is airing, Dayton shared photos from her audition on Instagram, writing, “At least I can say I gave it my all.”
Good for her for trying so hard for something that she obviously really wanted. It couldn’t have been easy for her to be rejected again, but she should be proud of herself for how far she did manage to come.
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