Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Take Legal Action Against My Chemical Romance Over Staged Shootout

Twenty years ago, My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade" album was released and continues to captivate audiences. At a recent performance at the Hollywood Bowl, dancers in uniforms resembling those of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders choreographed a cheer routine during the song "Teenagers." However, the performance took a dramatic turn with armed soldiers from the fictional Draag regime emerging, pointing guns at the band.

The cheerleaders then opened fire on the authoritarian forces, resulting in casualties on both sides. Gerard Way, frontman of My Chemical Romance, is said to have engaged in a violent act by stabbing a character named "Veronika," a government clerk, during the performance.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders brand owner, Pro Silver Star Ltd., has filed a temporary restraining order and injunction against My Chemical Romance. The petition alleges that the band's violent portrayal of the cheerleaders could harm their reputation and lead audiences to believe that the real Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were involved in or endorsed the performance.

The company claims that social media posts mistakenly identified the dancers as actual cheerleaders have caused confusion. Pro Silver Star Ltd. previously sent a cease-and-desist letter, but My Chemical Romance refused to comply. The band repeated the gunfire skit at the second Bowl show on the following night.

One real-life Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Kylie Dickson, expressed confusion over the situation, which coincidentally occurred on the same day the Cheerleaders unionized. The filing of legal papers marked the beginning of a potentially contentious legal battle between the band and the cheerleaders' brand owner.