3x NFL cheerleader for the Carolina Panthers, Justine Lindsay has supportive parents, especially her encouraging mother, Rhonda M. Lindsay Davis, who taught ballet to Justine.
Justine was engaged in dance from a young age. When she was about five years old, she watched a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The theater dance deeply inspired her, and as a result, her mother enrolled her in ballet classes, which became the foundation of her dance training.
When Justine was around 14 years old, she earned a scholarship to attend the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.
For her education, Justine attended Johnson C. Smith University, where she danced with the Golden Bullettes dance team.
She later studied at the Art Institute of Charlotte and also attended North Carolina State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications.
Throughout college, dance remained a central part of her life, including performances and halftime shows.
NFL’s First Trans Cheerleader Justine Lindsay has Haitian Immigrant Parents!
Born on September 19, 1992, in North Carolina, U.S, Justine was one of the three children of Rhonda M. Lindsay Davis.
While her father’s name has not been disclosed in the media, what is known is that her mother, Rhonda, was supportive of her from a young age.
Justine grew up in a Haitian-American household. Her father was a former college football player who wanted Justine to pursue sports.
Initially, he was not very supportive of her dance career and wanted her to focus on football. While talking with ELLE, she mentioned her dad, saying:
He never really understood why I wanted to dance,He was like, ‘Is that who you are? I think my dad always knew, but there was a denial stage, which every parent, whether you’re the mother or the father, will have. It’s that moment of, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t want this for my child.
However, her mother encouraged her dance career, which is why Justine now credits her and often mentions her in media interviews.
While Justine did face struggles in her career, she always had a mother by her side who supported her.
Despite going through some difficult times in her career, Justine now thrives, having built several achievements and records of her own.
In Case You Don’t Know
- Justine made history in 2022 by joining the Carolina Panthers’ TopCats squad, becoming the first openly transgender cheerleader in NFL history.
- She earned an associate degree from the Art Institute of Charlotte and later a bachelor’s degree in communications from North Carolina State University.
- In November 2025, Lindsay stated that she was cut from the TopCats for being trans.
