Calgary-born pop sensation Tate McRae has found herself in the middle of an unexpected geopolitical firestorm this week. The "greedy" singer ignited a viral controversy after appearing in a high-profile NBC promotional campaign endorsing Team USA for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. While the spot was meant to build hype for the games and Super Bowl LX, it instead earned her a harsh new nickname from her home country: "Traitor McRae."

The Viral NBC Ad That Sparked the 'Traitor' Controversy

The drama began earlier this week when NBC dropped its star-studded promotional lineup for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games. In the clip, McRae appears in a red snowsuit on a ski slope, interacting with a CGI snowy owl—a playful nod to the viral "Who?" owl meme.

However, it wasn't the cute animal interaction that set social media ablaze; it was the script. As her hit song "Nobody's Girl" played in the background, McRae looked into the camera and delivered lines that cut deep for Canadian winter sports fans.

"I'm trying to get to Milan for an amazing opening ceremony and meet Team USA," McRae says in the commercial. "Gonna spend the week with some of 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."

For a global pop star, the endorsement deal makes business sense. But for a Calgary native born on Canada Day (July 1), publicly rooting for Canada's fiercest rival in the Winter Games was seen by many fans as an unforgivable foul.

"Traître McRae": Inside the Canadian Backlash

The reaction north of the border was swift and merciless. Within hours of the Tate McRae Team USA ad airing, Canadian social media users flooded X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram to express their disappointment, confusion, and second-hand embarrassment.

The term "Traitor McRae" began trending, while a radio station in Quebec reportedly dubbed her "Traître McRae." The sentiment among fans was clear: In the world of Winter Olympics, Canada versus the USA is a blood feud, and McRae had just switched sides.

“The absolute ick every Canadian just felt. In 2026… what were you and your team thinking?” one user commented on her post. Another added, “Feel free to return your Canadian passport.”

The backlash highlights a unique aspect of Canadian identity. While Canadians are generally known for being polite, hockey and winter sports are sacred territory. Seeing a homegrown star from Alberta—a province synonymous with winter sports excellence—cheering for "America's best" struck a particularly raw nerve.

Tate McRae Responds: "Y'all Know I'm Canada Down"

Realizing the promotional spot had snowballed into a PR nightmare, McRae moved quickly to do damage control. On Wednesday, February 4, the singer took to her Instagram Stories to reassure her compatriots that her passport—and her loyalty—remained red and white.

McRae posted an adorable childhood photo of herself smiling and holding a small Canadian flag. Over the image, she wrote a simple, direct caption to silence the haters: "...y'all know I'm Canada down."

The move was a classic pivot, using nostalgia to remind fans of her roots without directly apologizing for the lucrative NBC contract. While the post helped cool the temperature, the "traitor" memes continue to circulate as the countdown to the Milan opening ceremony continues.

From Calgary to Global Stardom

This incident serves as a reminder of McRae's rapid ascent from a local Calgary dancer to an international superstar living in Los Angeles. Before she was dominating the Billboard charts, she was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, proudly representing her Canadian heritage on an American stage.

The Business of the Olympics

The controversy also underscores the complex nature of celebrity endorsements in 2026. NBC holds the U.S. broadcasting rights for the Olympics and the Super Bowl, and using a Gen Z icon like McRae is a strategic move to capture younger viewers. The fact that she is Canadian was likely a secondary detail to network executives focused on her massive American fanbase.

For now, it seems McRae has smoothed things over with her "Canada down" declaration. But when the puck drops or the skis hit the slope in Milan, her Canadian fans will be watching closely to see which flag she's actually waving.