UPDATE: 2/5/26 at 2:40 a.m. ET — Canadian singer Tate McRae appeared to hit back at backlash after appearing in an ad promoting Team USA’s 2026 Winter Olympics team.
The pop star shared a childhood photo of herself holding up a Canadian flag to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, February 4. “… Y’all know I’m Canada down,” the “Run for the Hills” singer wrote over the image.
Original story:
Singer Tate McRae is just as excited for the 2026 Winter Olympics as the rest of us — but not everybody is a fan of how she’s expressing it.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are officially here — and Team USA is arriving in Italy with star power, storylines and sky-high expectations. As the world’s best athletes descend on Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, all eyes are on the Americans: from Ilia Malinin’s can’t-miss moment in men’s figure skating to Mikaela Shiffrin’s long-awaited redemption tour on […]
McRae, who was born in Canada, starred in an ad for NBC Sports promoting Team USA released on Tuesday, February 3.
“I’m trying to get to Milan for an amazing Opening Ceremony and meet Team USA,” the pop star, 22, tells a snowy owl in the commercial.
McRae continues, “It’s the weekend with America’s best skating for gold and Lindsey Vonn’s epic comeback.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics kick off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, February 6, the same day that team figure skating competition begins. Vonn, meanwhile, is scheduled to hit the slopes on Sunday, February 8, despite suffering a torn ACL after a crash in Switzerland last week.
The decision for McRae to support Team USA didn’t sit well with some fans, who called her out for abandoning her Canadian roots.
“Promoting team usa is actually crazy… girl ur from calgary, u grew up going to the saddledome and the stampede, quit pretending ur from the country that was threatening to annex us this time last year 😭😭,” one person wrote via X.
McRae was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and spent most of her upbringing in the province. She has long supported the NHL’s Calgary Flames, who play at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
“Tate McRae, who is from Calgary Alberta, is doing Olympic promos for Team USA… more like ‘Trait McRator’ AMIRITE!” a person commented via X.
Another wrote, “Tate mcrae doing a olympic ad for the usa is lame af but also why is a us network even choosing a canadian to endorse them?”
“Tate McRae doing a promo for NBC and Team USA for the Olympics and not Canada has me a bit sad but okay,” a dejected fan said.
McRae appearing in the ad might not be entirely random, however, as the “Sports Car” singer has recently been linked to New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes, who will represent Team USA in Italy.
McRae and Hughes, 24, were spotted together in New York City in December 2025 after she attended one of his home games.
Hughes discussed dealing with an increased level of fame during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly last month.
“The number one thing I focus on is my game,” Hughes said. “That’s the part I have the most fun with. Obviously there’s a lot of things that come with it. But the most fun thing is to go out to a sold-out rink, ball out and play well. That’s the most important thing for me.”
He added, “All the other stuff is good, it comes on the side if you’re playing well. You kinda got to put the cart before the horse. I’m lucky to be in the position that I’m in. The most fun I have is on the ice.”
Hughes and the Team USA men’s hockey team will begin their quest for gold in Italy against Latvia on February 12.
