A rep for “Cheer” star Jerry Harris has denied allegations that he solicited sex from minors.
“We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” the spokesperson told Variety in a statement. “We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”
The allegations in question emerged in a USA Today report which said that FBI agents executed a search warrant at Harris’ home in Naperville, Illinois on Monday, after being told that he may have asked for sexually explicit photos and sex from minors.
According to the USA Today piece, the investigation is based on claims from Varsity Brands, a cheerleading-industry company with which Harris worked. In letters to the police obtained by the publication, Varsity’s chief legal officer Burton Brillhart said the company was made aware of “inappropriate sexual conduct” allegations against the “Cheer” star.
“As a result of the recent allegation, we have barred this person from having any affiliation with Varsity Brands or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, now and in the future,” Brillhart wrote in an Aug. 1 letter.
Harris rose to prominence in the Netflix cheerleading series docuseries that followed the Navarro College Cheer Team of Corsicana, Texas, a city near Dallas. Harris’ appearances in the series were marked by his enthusiastic “mat-talking” and encouragement of his teammates.
Netflix declined to comment on the Harris allegations.
Harris has since appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and covered the Oscars red carpet for DeGeneres. He has also inked endorsement deals with Schmidt’s deodorant, Panera Bread and American Eagle, as well as racking up 1.2 million followers on Instagram.
Marc Malkin contributed to this report.