Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Armani Latimer performed without a wig at the Dallas Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals game on Dec. 9, and the decision was nothing short of courageous. For Latimer, a 23-year-old dancer who appeared in the hit Netflix series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders earlier this year, the moment also marked an opportunity to speak publicly about her diagnosis with alopecia areata: an autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss.
In an Instagram reel shared to the squad's joint account, Latimer seemed visibly moved by her teammates' support as she strolled onto the field at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Monday. At one special game every year, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) partner with Lucchese Bootmaker to spotlight charitable causes that are close to each team member's heart—a program dubbed "My Cause My Boots" in a spinoff of the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” platform.
This year, Latimer chose to perform in support of alopecia awareness, having struggled with the chronic condition since age 12. In an interview with Women's Health, Latimer explained her occasional bald spots tend to "become bigger with stress."
"Shortly after college, I auditioned to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and attempted to wear my hair naturally, but the demands of being a training camp candidate and trying to make the team caused my hair to fall out at a faster rate," she told the outlet. "As it became harder to cover up, I went back to sew-ins. And once my hair fell out completely, I started wearing wigs."
Latimer went on to discuss the impact alopecia had on her mood and self-esteem during her early cheering career. Flareups often meant she "was only able to give about 50 percent of [her] effort."
"People see cheerleaders and assume they're flawless," Latimer added in conversation with Women's Health. "While that's obviously not true, I still found myself having to unlearn idea that I needed to be perfect to be on the team. I didn’t want to just be the cheerleader who didn’t have hair."
Acceptance is an ongoing journey, Latimer continued, but becoming more vocal about her alopecia helped her realize the condition doesn't define her. At the beginning of the 2024 season, Latimer approached DCC director Kelli Finglass about going wig-free for the squad's annual "My Cause My Boots" game.
"Knowing that the game would be live in front of over 80 thousand people and I may end up on TV is a bit intimidating," Latimer confessed. "But I’m reminding myself that I’ll be out there dancing with my best friends, and my family will be there as well. I know that it’ll be an impactful moment for whoever it touches."
Now that's a cause I can definitely get behind.
