“I wanted to leave....": Reece Weaver trades her Dallas Cowboys cheerleader uniform for a daring Broadway role in Chicago

Reece Weaver’s career has taken a striking turn. After winning fans as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader on Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts, the 25-year-old is stepping into the very different world of Broadway. Weaver is set to play Roxie Hart in Chicago, trading her cheer uniform for a role built around crime, ambition and scandal, while holding firmly to the values that have shaped her life.Reece Weaver makes a bold Broadway debut as Roxie HartWeaver’s new role pushes her far outside the image viewers know from America’s Sweethearts. Roxie Hart is a seductive character who cheats on her husband and kills her lover, making the part a sharp contrast to Weaver’s cheerful public persona and Christian faith.That difference became clear during rehearsals. Weaver admitted that the production has forced her to use language she rarely used before.“I have never cussed more in my life than these past four weeks,” she said with a giggle.Still, there was one line she refused to cross. Weaver made it clear that she would not use the Lord’s name in vain, even while performing the demanding role.“That’s the one thing I made clear,” Weaver said, sitting outside a coffee shop in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan before a rehearsal. “There’s a few times where Roxie said ‘G.D.,’ and I’m like, ‘I can’t say that.’”Her Broadway opportunity arrived at an important moment. Weaver had already decided to leave the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders after Season 3, a decision that surprised many fans. She said an injury featured on the Netflix series was not the reason for her departure.Instead, Weaver wanted to walk away while she still felt grateful for the experience.“I wanted to leave more on a note of gratitude and feeling so full,” she said, “rather than, like, a time of maybe feeling a little burnt out.”That choice also opened another door. Her growing popularity from America’s Sweethearts helped her build an online career, bringing millions of followers and brand opportunities.Reece Weaver and Will Allman navigate life after America’s SweetheartsThe sudden attention has also tested Weaver’s personal life. She and her husband, Will Allman, were still newlyweds when the Netflix series became a hit. Overnight attention brought opinions from strangers, and Weaver said the experience made their relationship feel as though they had to begin again.“I didn’t know how just to navigate my emotions with my reality of trying to be a good wife, trying to be a good teammate, and also people telling me what they think about me on the internet,” Weaver said. “It was just so much.”Therapy helped her manage that pressure, and she said she has stayed away from Reddit for two years.Now, Weaver and Allman are embracing a life that looks nothing like a traditional routine. They moved temporarily to New York with their dog, Ruby, while Weaver prepares for Broadway. Allman has supported her throughout the process, even walking her to and from rehearsals and preparing juices he jokingly calls “Roxtails.”Their unusual lifestyle has also drawn criticism online, particularly after Weaver left the Cowboys Cheerleaders. Allman laughed off the idea that he wanted his wife to stay home.“Nothing in our life is traditional,” he said.For Weaver, Broadway represents another leap into unfamiliar territory. Her dance background gives her confidence, but singing and adapting from a football field to a theater stage have demanded patience. The challenge is new, but so is the opportunity. After becoming a Netflix favorite, Weaver is now writing a very different chapter under the bright lights of Broadway.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.