Tate McRae sparked a cross-border meltdown after starring in a new advertisement for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The Canadian-born singer was dragged into a Canada-vs.-America war for her promo of the Olympics, which kicks off on Friday, February 6.
“Remember your roots,” a critic snarked.
Tate McRae sparked a cross-border meltdown after starring in a new advertisement related to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games
Tate McRae hyped up both the Milan Cortina Olympics and Super Bowl LX in a recent NBC ad.
She faced intense criticism, with Canadians questioning why she was backing Team USA instead of her home country.
The singer was born in Calgary, Alberta, in 2003 and completed high school in the land of the maple leaf. However, she became a globally recognized pop star by establishing her music career in the US.
In the recent ad, the Just Keep Watching singer was dressed in a red ski suit and appeared to be in the Italian Alps.
She proceeded to take directions from a snowy owl to get to northern Italy, where the prestigious games are being hosted.
The Canadian-born singer was seen hyping up both the Milan Cortina Olympics and Super Bowl LX
“Oh, hi! I’m a bit lost,” she said to the snowy owl before introducing herself: “I’m Tate McRae.”
“Who?” the bird replied.
“Oh, I’m nobody. Nobody’s Girl, that is,” the singer said, referring to her hit song from last year.
After saying she was heading to Milan for the “amazing opening ceremony,” she said she wanted to “meet Team USA.”
“And then it’s the weekend with America’s best skating for gold,” she said as images of the US Figure Skating team appeared in the frame. “And Lindsay Vonn’s epic comeback.”
“And back to the States for the big game. Super Bowl 60,” she added.
miss dula peep also did a promo for NBC and she’s British. it’s money over politics for A LOT of non-US celebs https://t.co/HlGXfNw5MW
— little monster 🏳️🌈🍁🏳️⚧️ (@Chromacadabra) February 4, 2026
When the owl gave her a dumbfounded look, McRae simply said, “OK. I’ll just ask someone else then.”
Netizens felt the singer was picking sides when she showed support for Team USA and the Super Bowl, an event that is as American as it gets.
“Bieber would never do this to us,” one commented online
“Promoting Team USA, Tate remember your roots,” one said, while another quipped, “The absolute ick every Canadian just felt. In 2026… what were you and your team thinking?”
“Every year I feel more valid in my dislike of her. Girl why are you advertising for the USA team after that country threatened to annex your actual home country of Canada? Traitor s***,” wrote another.
One said, “She’s a traitor. Honestly there’s no excuse.”
“Promoting Team USA is actually crazy … girl ur from Calgary, u grew up going to the Saddledome and the Stampede, quit pretending ur from the country that was threatening to annex us this time last year,” one said.
Some netizens weren’t surprised and said, “selling out for USA” is an extremely Albertan thing to do
On the other hand, some netizens didn’t find her appearance in the ad a big deal.
“Selling out for usa is the most albertan thing she could do to be fair,” one said.
Another wrote, “Quote tweets are full of woke Canadians attacking her as a traitor for promoting Team USA. Tate McRae is the model immigrant. This is what assimilation looks like. She’s part of our melting pot. Take your anti-American xenophobia elsewhere.”
McRae confirmed in 2025 that she bought an apartment in Manhattan and was moving her life from Los Angeles to New York City.
“I feel more connected to New York anyway. I’ve been in L.A. for five years now and I still feel like I’m visiting,” she told Interview in April.
When asked about how she feels when she goes back to Calgary, she said it was nice to return to “a culture that has nothing to do with the entertainment business.”
McRae spoke about why she loves New York and bought an apartment in the city
“It’s so normal. When I go back for Christmas, it’s just bonfires, ice skating, going on walks with my dog in the park, and going to the mall,” she said.
“You want to know that other things exist in life. It can feel very all-consuming,” she added.
Image credits: CityNews
The greedy singer expressed appreciation for her life in New York as well.
“I really do feel most alive in New York,” she added. “I think maybe because I’m so busy when I go there and my favorite moments of my career usually take place there. Honestly, being onstage is probably the least anxiety I feel in my life.”
“They can have that Albertan,” one commented online
