Canadian pop star Tate McRae has come under fire from fellow Canadians after appearing in a promotional video for Team USA ahead of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026.
In the NBC-produced advert, McRae is shown speaking to a computer-animated white owl while trying to find her way to Milan for the opening ceremony. “I’m a bit lost,” she says in the clip, asking for directions to meet Team USA.
The video quickly sparked criticism online, with some Canadians branding the appearance “infuriating” and others going as far as calling it “treason”.
McRae was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, where she attended high school, before building her music career primarily in the United States.
Responding to the backlash, McRae took to Instagram to reassure fans, sharing a childhood photo of herself holding a Canadian flag and writing: “Y’all know I’m Canadian down.”
The reaction comes amid heightened political tensions between Canada and the United States following trade disputes under US President Donald Trump, including tariffs on Canadian goods and repeated remarks referring to Canada as the “51st state”.
In response, anti-US sentiment and expressions of Canadian patriotism have intensified, including boycotts of American alcohol and a decline in cross-border travel.
The advert also promotes NBC’s broader sports coverage, featuring McRae in a spot tied to the upcoming Super Bowl clash between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, scheduled for 8 February at Levi’s Stadium.
NBC, the US broadcaster for the Olympic Games, said the video was designed to promote its opening ceremony coverage, as well as its Olympics and Super Bowl programming, and features McRae’s song “Nobody’s Girl.”
Social media reaction was swift. Toronto-based sports writer Jordan Cicchelli wrote on X: “Tate McRae doing a promo for NBC and Team USA for the Olympics and not Canada has me a bit sad but okay.”
Canadian culture journalist Courtney Shea wrote in Toronto Life that “watching the ad, you’d have absolutely no idea that McRae was born and raised in the Great White North”. She added: “The only question worth asking at this point is: Does Tate McRae remember she’s from Canada?”
Others were more supportive. Alberta resident Blaine Badiuk argued that McRae’s role in the campaign reflected Canada’s cultural influence, writing: “They needed a CANADIAN to sell themselves.”
McRae, 22, attended Western Canada High School in Calgary and first gained attention as a contestant on the US television show “So You Think You Can Dance” before pivoting to music.
Her profile has surged in recent years, with her 2024 album “So Close to What” debuting at number one on the Billboard 200.
She has frequently spoken about her Canadian roots, including her love of ice hockey, and has been spotted supporting the Calgary Flames alongside her family. However, she told audiences at a concert last year that “Canada doesn’t feel like home anymore, which is weird”.
“Calgary, where I’m from, feels a little less like homey than LA,” McRae said.
McRae is not the only non-American celebrity to appear in Team USA promotions. In another NBC advert released in November, British pop star Dua Lipa is shown promoting American athletes including skiers Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, snowboarder Chloe Kim, and figure skater Alysa Liu.
