Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Defends ‘Controversial’ Hairstyle Amid Viral Backlash originally appeared on Parade.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are known for their iconic blue-and-white uniforms, and just as iconic, long, voluminous hair worn down. However, one rookie is making headlines by breaking that beauty standard.

Faith Ward, 22, is the first New Zealander to join the prestigious DCC squad. During training camp, she was spotted wearing her hair in a slicked-back ponytail — a major break from the traditional style fans have long embraced.

The unexpected updo quickly caught attention in a video posted by DCC member Charly Barby. In the now-viral clip, Barby stood alongside the new recruits, all wearing their hair down, except for Ward.

Fans quickly noticed Ward’s bold switchup — and didn’t hold back their disapproval in the comments. “Of the over a decade I’ve seen MTT, there’s never been a girl in a ponytail,” one fan wrote, while another added, “No pony! It’s the DCC way.”

Despite the backlash, Ward is now speaking out, and setting the record straight. “It’s crazy because obviously the DCC hairstyle is out, fluffy, voluminous, luscious, long locks. I’ve broken that stereotype,” she told ABC Perth on Monday, July 21.

So how did the ponytail come to be? According to Ward, it was none other than DCC director Kelli Finglass who encouraged the switch.

“So, I’m in rehearsal one of the days with my hair out and I am, you know, sweating after doing ‘Thunderstruck,'” she said. Finglass goes, “‘You know what? I really want to see what your hair would look like tied up.’”

Ward kept the ponytail for the rest of rehearsal — and it stuck. She even wore it to her uniform fitting, hoping Finglass would approve.

“I go into uniform fittings and keep my hair up in hopes that she would like it still, and I walk in and she goes, ‘You’re giving Ariana Grande! Like, we need an Ariana Grande moment on the team,'” Ward shared.

While Ward’s ponytail has sparked debate among die-hard DCC fans, she’s staying optimistic about what it means for the team’s future image.

“I want to wait and see what she has to say as to whether it’s solidified yet,” Ward explained. “So right now, it’s looking very hopeful that I will be a DCC with a ponytail.”

With this game-changing move, Ward isn’t just making history, she may be rewriting the DCC beauty playbook.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Defends ‘Controversial’ Hairstyle Amid Viral Backlash first appeared on Parade on Jul 21, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.