A former Houston Texans cheerleader claims she was duct taped into her uniform and told on multiple occasions that she was ‘skinny fat’.
Angelina Rosa is the sixth dancer to sue the football team for unfair treatment.
On Friday, she spoke at a press conference in New York City flanked by her star attorney Gloria Allred where she described being ‘body shamed’ by her female coach for not being toned despite being thin.
‘On numerous occasions I was belittled and body shamed. I was described and called out with the term “skinny fat”.
‘The coach explained I looked ‘skinny fat’ and I needed to work on this if I wanted to continue dancing,’ she said through tears.
Angelina Rosa (center) appeared at a press conference outside the Houston Texans HQ in New York City on Friday with her attorney Gloria Allred and fellow former cheerleader Hannah Turnbow (left)
She then told how before a game last year, the female coach held her back as the rest of the cheerleaders ran out onto the field.
‘She then stated, “Angelina, you are about to be cut for a lifetime!” I had no clue what she was referring to as I had worked very hard on my appearance.
‘She then walked me over to a corner of the locker room with herself and several other alumni helpers.
Rosa says she starved herself and survived on just popcorn and water to stay skinny for the job
‘Before I knew it Texans logo duct tape was found, I heard “this will hurt a bit”, as I watched my skin being pulled, stretched, and taped tightly on myself,’ she said.
Rosa said she felt ‘humiliated and ashamed of her body’.
‘Although I wanted to hide and cry, I waited to receive the coach’s final approval and ran down the tunnel and proceeded with my team on the field and kept dancing with all I could fighting the pain through a smile,’ she said.
She decided to quit afterwards and joined the lawsuit that was filed earlier this month by five of her former colleagues because she feels the organization needs to be held accountable.
‘Initially, when I thought about stepping forward with my case I held back out of fear and shame for shedding a negative light on something I once so strongly believed in.
‘However the more I sat and thought about the ordeals I dealt with, I realized my silence would only encourage the same treatment to be done to the next girl caught up in the whirlwind of achieving her dreams, only to be devastated at the reality of being over worked, under compensated, bullied, torn down, and ultimately used to profit a multi-billion dollar organization that she actually supports,’ she said.
The cheerleaders say they were paid just $7.25 an hour and were not given food allowances during trips.
They alleged a culture of sexual harassment, impropriety and one where they were constantly reminded that they were replaceable.
The team has defended its treatment of them and the cheerleading program, saying it takes pride in it and always looks for ways to improve it.
On Friday, Allred called into question its treatment of Rosa and the issues surrounding her body.
She held up photographs of her in bikinis and her uniform and said: ‘It’s ridiculous to call a person who looks like this “skinny-fat.”
She recalled one occasion where she was held back by the coach as the rest of the dancers ran onto the field so that her skin could be taped into place (file image of her time with the Houston Texans)
Angelina said she felt she had to speak out to stop the same treatment being allowed towards other cheerleaders
‘First of all, no one should be called fat, let alone “skinny-fat,”‘ she said.
She has sent a letter to Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner, asking him to change the way the league treats cheerleaders.
‘Mr Goodell you dropped the ball. Instead of scoring a goal for women’s rights you retreated to the locker room with your head down and your eyes looking for a safe harbor. There is none. Women know who their friends are and who is sitting on the sidelines.
‘You should be the quarterback for the NFL on this important issue instead of carrying the water for the team owners,’ she said.
Allred held up a roll of duct tape as she hammered home her criticism of the NFL and its treatment of cheerleaders while Rosa choked back tears behind her
It is the second letter she has given him. On June 4, she issued a first which compelled him to take action on the issue.
She claims he responded with his own letter, which has not been made public, which ‘stated that the NFL would continue to allow exploitation of women so long as they paid minimum wage.
‘You abdicated any responsibility for what occurs in these cheerleader programs even though it is an integral part of these NFL games.’
The other cheerleaders who have taken action against the organization are Hannah Turnbow, Ainsley Parish, Morgan Wiederhold, Ashley Rodriguez, and Kelly Neuner.
Earlier this month, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader launched her own suit against that team.
She complained that its mascot earned more than she did and is now demanding back-pay.
Allred filed a suit against the team on behalf of five other former cheerleaders earlier this year. They are pictured outside the Texans New York HQ on June 4 with a letter to Roger Goodell, demanding he stand up for them