The New York Times published a bombshell report today, detailing how Washington Redskins cheerleaders were asked to participate in nude photo shoots in the presence of male team sponsors during a 2013 trip to Costa Rica.
Several unnamed cheerleaders recalled that select members were required to be topless, while others wore only body paint, despite the fact that the calendar shoot would contain no nudity. Additionally, the cheerleaders say they weren't told spectators would be at the shoot, but there were several "high-profile Redskins sponsors and FedEx Field suite holders. All of them men."
"Some of the cheerleaders said they were required to be topless, though the photographs used for the calendar would not show nudity. Others wore nothing but body paint. Given the resort's secluded setting, such revealing poses would not have been a concern for the women — except that the Redskins had invited spectators," the report says.
"A contingent of sponsors and FedExField suite holders — all men — were granted up-close access to the photo shoots." At one point the report mentions a cheerleader getting her friends to form a "human barricade" to prevent the men from seeing her while she was "basically naked."
Additionally, the report states that nine of the 36 cheerleaders were chosen by male sponsors to be personal escorts at a nightclub on one night during the trip and others were taken to yacht parties where wealthy men held dance contests for money. The cheerleaders say their participation did not involve sex, but they felt as though the arrangement amounted to “pimping us out.”
“They weren’t putting a gun to our heads, but it was mandatory for us to go,” one of the cheerleaders told The Times. “We weren’t asked, we were told."
Stephanie Jojokian, the director and choreographer for the Redskins’ cheerleaders, denied the night club visit was mandatory.
“I was not forcing anyone to go at all,” Jojokian told The Times. “I’m the mama bear, and I really look out for everybody, not just the cheerleaders. It’s a big family. We respect each other and our craft. It’s such a supportive environment for these ladies.”