Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Picking who to root for during the Olympics tends to be a pretty straightforward process, as the vast majority of people will be cheering for the country they’re from. However, Canadian singer Tate McRae has attracted the wrath of her native land after backing Team USA before things get underway in Italy.
Every two years, people around the world get an excuse to get drunk on some pure, unadulterated patriotism courtesy of the Olympics.
There are a number of different factors that can come into play when it comes to picking the college and professional teams you throw your support behind, but when it comes to the Olympics, the country where you were born tends to be the one you get irrationally invested in over the course of a few weeks.
With that said, things can get a little complicated if you have various allegiances. For example, Canadian musical sensation Tate McRae was born in Calgary, but her mother is from Germany and she spent some time living in Oman when she was a kid before moving back to Alberta.
She has also been romantically linked to Jack Hughes, who will be competing for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and people from her native country are not thrilled with her decision to throw her support behind the red, white, and blue before things get underway in Milano Cortina.
Tate McRae’s Instagram comments got flooded with Canadian flag emojis after she hyped up Team USA in an ad for the Winter Olympics
McRae is a classically trained ballerina who initially got some attention when she competed on So You Think You Can Dance? as a teenager in 2016.
She ended up finishing in third place and leveraged her newfound fame to showcase her talents as a singer and songwriter on YouTube. She landed a deal with RCA Records in 2019, and she has released three albums since dropping her debut in 2022 while producing Top 10 hits including “Tit for Tat” and “Just Keep Watching,” the second of which landed her a Grammy nomination.
NBC decided to take advantage of her high profile by tapping McRae to film an ad promoting the 2026 Winter Olympics (as well as Super Bowl LX).
She was more than happy to turn her back on Canada and get paid for the spot where she drummed up hype for Team USA at the Opening Ceremony, the American figure skaters who will be competing in Milano Cortina, and Lindsey Vonn’s attempt to overcome an ACL injury that will not derail her comeback at the age of 41.
It’s worth noting she does have a link to one American Olympian. In December, McRae spent some time with Devils star Jack Hughes before attending one of his games, but she has not confirmed she’s dating the forward who will be teammates with his brother Quinn at the Winter Olympics.
However, many Canadians were not willing to give her a pass for the ad they viewed as a betrayal, as this is just a smattering of the general sentiment you’ll be treated to if you scroll through the comments on the post.
Hell hath no fury like Canadians scorned.