More than one year after her retirement from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Chandi Dayle is revealing the truth about her status with director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell.
“It’s good. I’ve obviously been closer to Judy throughout my years there,” Chandi, 29, said on the Wednesday, June 24, episode of the “What’s the Reality” podcast. “I’ve texted Judy during [the] last season, so I keep up with her a little bit, but it’s all good.”
She continued, “They’re so sweet. Kelli saw me at one of my appearances for [DCC All-Stars alumni performances last year], gave me a hug, told me she missed me and loved me.”
Chandi made the cheer team for her sixth and final time during the 2024-2025 NFL season, which was chronicled on season 2 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She was even named one of the first group leaders, which was ultimately stripped after she broke team rules during a squad trip to the Bahamas.
The former NFL dancer had disclosed details about her hotel room to an unidentified individual to discuss her past history of domestic violence, raising security concerns for the rest of the team. Chandi subsequently lost her position and was placed on a temporary leave of absence.
Chandi was able to return to the team weeks later, finishing out the season before an unexpected injury. She announced her retirement at the end of the season before undergoing hip surgery.
“Mentally, it was slightly hard,” she told podcast host AD Smith of her recovery. “I think my injury side kind of put a blocker on the fact that dance was done, so that helped. Then I had to obviously deal with that later, so that was rough. Overcoming not having strength and watching my leg lose all its muscle was really scary.”
After Chandi’s recovery, she moved back to Arizona to help coach her collegiate dance team.
“It was a nice transition back into real life from DCC life,” she said. “Life is fun, life is great. It just takes me back to college and I loved college, but the girls on the team are hard workers, amazing. It’s so easy to just come to practice, talk with them, work with them.”
Through her coaching duties, Chandi has found her personal relationship with dancing is “getting better.”
“It’s just like you’re in it for so long and then when it’s just abruptly done, you’re like, ‘That was literally my whole identity,’” she recalled. “I’m starting to love it again and I think coaching has helped me find that love.”
