Raising awareness.
Netflix's 2020 hit series Cheer threw a community college cheerleading team into the limelight, making stars out of fan-favorites like the dedicated underdog Morgan Simianer, tumbling queen Lexi Brumback and perhaps most of all, the bubbly Jerry Harris.
The Navarro College cheerleader was notorious for his over-the-top and encouraging "mat talk," but everything changed in September 2020 when Jerry was arrested and charged with production of child pornography.
Now, it's all playing out during Cheer's recently released second season—a decision that had to have been difficult for producers to make, although the way Morgan sees things, "I think it's a good thing because it is a problem that is happening in the world," she said exclusively during E! News' Daily Pop on Tuesday, Jan. 18.
"And to be able to bring some light to it to help those out there, I think, is a good thing," Morgan continued, admitting she was "obviously shocked" about the claims against her former teammate.
Since Jerry's arrest, he has pleaded not guilty to seven sex crime charges. In December, a spokesperson said in a statement to E! News, "We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager. We are confident that when the investigation is completed, the true facts will be revealed."
Added Morgan, "I just want to say that my heart goes out to everyone involved."
The 24-year-old reality TV personality herself is featured less throughout Cheer's second season compared to its first, namely due to the fact that she graduated from Navarro in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which ruined her last chance to compete in Daytona.
"It was hard because I wanted to be out there and be with my team," she told E! News, looking back at the 2021 competition. "But at the same time I'm just glad I was able to support them and, you know, come back as an alumni and just be there for my family."
Morgan may not be a Navarro cheerleader anymore, but it's safe to say she's cemented herself into the team's history.
"I've been doing these crazy once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, meeting some insane people," she explained. "My life is literally still not real and it's been two years since the first season was released."
That's not to say Morgan doesn't appreciate a heavy dose of downtime, though—especially if it means she gets to hang out with her boyfriend, Stone Burleson.
"He is my biggest supporter," she gushed on Daily Pop. "Like I don't know what I would do without him. He's there for me no matter what."
Another plus? "He treats me like a normal person," Morgan said. "He's an absolutely sweet heart and I'm lucky to have him."
Hear more from Morgan in the above Daily Pop interview!
Cheer season two is now streaming on Netflix.
Editor's note: This article was updated on Jan. 18 at 4:33 p.m. PT with the correct name of Morgan's boyfriend, Stone Burleson.