Photo: Tate McRae // Instagram
Canadian pop singer Tate McRae recently appeared in a TV ad promoting team U.S.A. at the Winter Olympics. And she got absolutely roasted for it.
The mini-controversy arose as a result of an NBC advertisement for its coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics. In it, McRae appears wearing a red snow suit and skis and asks an owl for directions to the Games. “I’m trying to get to Milan for an amazing opening ceremony and meet team U.S.A.,” she says. “Then it’s the weekend with America’s best skating for gold, and Lindsey Vonn’s epic comeback. Then come back to the States for the big game, Super Bowl LX.”
Despite the benign nature of the ad itself, it managed to get the hackles up of Canadian commenters, who were enraged that McRae would publicly support the United States over her homeland. The 22-year-old hails from Calgary, Alberta, a fact which hundreds of commenters pointed out, in varying states of enragement.
“The absolute ick every Canadian just felt,” wrote one commenter “In 2026… what were you and your team thinking?”
Another added a layer of political commentary to the critique, saying, “No amount of money could make me endorse the country that threatens mine.”
In order to stave off the criticism, McRae posted an Instagram story with a childhood photo of her holding a a miniature Canadian flag. “…y’all know I’m Canada down,” she wrote in the caption.
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