Tate McRae had some fans confused after she appeared in an NBC Olympics ad for Team USA, despite the fact that she’s Canadian, born and raised.
But in a post on her Instagram Story on Wednesday (Feb. 4), the singer playfully addressed the chatter. Sharing a photo of herself as a little girl holding a miniature Canadian flag, McRae wrote, “… y’all know I’m Canada down.”
The ad in question dropped the day prior. It features the hitmaker hitting the slopes on a pair of skis and encountering a white owl, whom she asks for directions to the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.
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“I’m trying to get to Milan for an amazing opening ceremony, or meet Team USA,” she says in the clip. “Then it’s the weekend with America’s best skating for gold and Lindsey Vonn’s epic comeback. Then back to the States for the Big Game: Super Bowl LX!”
McRae had posted the ad on Instagram and quickly received countless comments from perturbed Canadian followers. “Ur Canadian but promoting America for the Olympics??? …. This is so disappointing lmao,” one person wrote, while another comment reads, “girl you’re canadian pls what is this.”
The opening ceremony will begin at 1:40 p.m. ET on Friday (Feb. 6) on NBC and Peacock. This year, it’s set to feature performances from Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli.
And while McRae might’ve received some pushback, she isn’t the only non-American superstar who NBC has tapped to support Team USA. Dua Lipa and Cynthia Erivo — both of whom are British — starred in ads for the network supporting the U.S. team.
