A Dallas Cowboys cheerleader was knocked down by a football during Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders after a second quarter kickoff.
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey punted the ball, and as it was going out of bounds, it hit Michelle Siemienowski, a Cowboys cheerleader who was performing on the sidelines at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and knocked her down. Afterward, video showed Siemienowski recovering from the hit, smiling and giggling with tears in her eyes.
The Cowboys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The cheerleaders, who perform at every home game, dance and cheer on the sidelines throughout the game, on the field before the game, and during quarter breaks. In 2011, former Cowboys cheerleader Melissa Kellerman was accidentally tackled by former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. Shortly after, she wrote on social media, “I’m not the best at Jason Witten trust falls” and “Not hurtin’ today, like some of y’all thought I would be! Our TE isn’t as tough as he looks…That or I’m WAY tougher than I look.”
Cowboys cheerleaders have also had some unpleasant run-ins with football players from other teams. Last year, cheerleader Darian Lassiter said in a TikTok video that Green Bay Packers players were disrespectful to her and other cheerleaders and yelled in their faces during a Packers-Cowboys playoff game.
“It’s so crazy how they can’t do that to the Cowboys players or any other players, but they can do it to the cheerleaders and nothing’s going to happen,” Lassiter said. “I understand the playoffs is a huge deal. I truly get it, but that does not mean your humbleness and respect for women flies out the window.”