Kaylie Cruz is a main character in the first, second and third seasons of the ABC drama series Make It or Break It. She is an elite gymnast at the Rocky Mountain and National Champion for 2009 and 2010. She was portrayed by Josie Loren.
At the beginning of the series, her 'perfect' life with having a 'secret' boyfriend', a good and supportive coach, 2 best friends and a happy and loving parents, all crashes down.
While Kaylie is described as pretty, popular and "the girl who has everything," it is later revealed that she is very vulnerable, compassionate and kind-hearted.
History[]
Her mother Ronnie Cruz, is a former singer and her father Alex Cruz is a former baseball player. She has an elder brother named Leo who was a gymnast.
She used to go out with Carter Anderson, but broke up with him after discovering he slept with her best friend, Lauren Tanner.
During Nationals, Kaylie defeated Kelly Parker to become national champion. She later developed anorexia and during the tests for the World Team, she fainted during her routine on the beam that sent her to the hospital. Kaylie asks to return to the team provided that she is medically judged by a doctor to compete.
Kaylie finds herself in rehab for her anorexia where she has a friendship with a model named Maeve who teaches her to "play" to get out of rehab. Despite all her attempts, her parents refuse to let Kaylee return to gym training and Kaylie refuses to admit she has an eating disorder, but after Maeve dies of heart failure due to anorexia, She finally admits that she needs help.
The team ended up winning Gold at Worlds and Kaylie began to go out with Austin Tucker, but in the third season Austin was eliminated from the men's Olympic team and blamed Kaylie for distracting him, but after Kaylie fails her drug test (for Pseudoephedrine) and is told she cannot compete in Olympic trails, Austin apologizes and they continue their relationship.
In the end, Kaylie is allowed to compete after her friends (Payson, Lauren, and Jordan) stand up for her to the NGO. While Kaylie competes, Lauren investigates and discovers that Wendy Capshaw has been drugging Kaylie to knock her out of the competition. Wendy is kicked out, and Kaylie wins a spot on the Olympic Team along with her 3 friends.
Background[]
Kaylie is described by Payson as the 'one who got everything.' She is described as beautiful with olive skin, brown eyes and chesnut brown hair with a winning smile. Her mother, Ronnie, was a one hit wonder in the 1980s and 1990s, and her father, Alex, was a successful baseball player, who is revealed to have an anger issue. Kaylie disagrees with and breaks one of the gym's main rules: that each girl training should not be romantically involved with anyone. Kaylie is secretly dating Carter, a fellow gymnast at The Rock, although for several episodes she is unaware that Carter had slept with Lauren, Kaylie's best friend. Kaylie discovers her mother's affair with Marty, The Rock's previous coach and upon confronting her mother, it is revealed that Ronnie knows about Kaylie and Carter as well. She is ultimately best friends with Payson and Lauren, but has a good relationship with Emily as well. Later in the series, Carter gives her a necklace from his late mom, who said to give it to the girl that he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
However, she returns the necklace to Carter during Nationals, and breaks it off with him after she found out about Carter and Lauren. She edges out Kelly Parker, becoming the Nationals Champion. Kaylie and Carter later kiss, but the reconciliation is ruined when Kaylie discovers that Lauren has been letting Carter live in her house and still has feelings for him. In the episode "Are we family" Kaylie decides not to compete against China even though the rock really needs her, but her dad Alex encourages her to help her team win against China. Kaylie decides to compete and is the first person to win against China's top gymnast. After finding out that Carter cheated, Kaylie break up with him. Kaylie kissed Austin at his house when she is upset. She wants to add a triple arabian to her routine even though Gengi Cho is the only gymnast able to accomplish it. When Sasha tells her that she doesn't have the right body type to perform the move she begins exercising vigorously and trying to lose weight. Kelly Parker is the first to notice how skinny she is but is told by Ellen Beals that Kaylie is a dedicated gymnast. She placed first in the final ten of the National's Team and will continue on training for one of the six spots on the World's Team.
Personality[]
Kaylie is outgoing and basically just wants to be a regular teenager. She can be selfish but in the end she feels bad about acting mean. Kaylie is very stubborn and sticks to what she wants and believes in. Kaylie is the "girly-girl" of the group.
Throughout the Series[]
Season 1[]
Her 'secret boyfriend' Carter Anderson, cheated on her with her very best friend Lauren Tanner. She finds out that her mother, Ronnie Cruz, has been cheating on Alex Cruz with Rocky Gym's coach, Marty Walsh. Mr Tanner has blackmailed Marty, which got him to move to Denver. The new girl, Emily Kmetko, got a scholarship from him and after he left she just had to leave. Fortunately, a new coach came to Rocky Mountain Gym but got them all into terror. One of Kaylie's best friend, Payson Keeler, is a favourite in the gymnastics but had a problem with her back. She was in denial and did the uneven bars and broke her back. Which lead to Kaylie winning National Champion.
Before winning, she broke her relationship with Carter Anderson, she fired her dad as a manager, and asked a woman named MJ to become her manager. MJ said, "What do you see in yourself, an elite, strong and fierce gymnast. Or a pretty 16-year-old, having a boyfriend life." Which lead to Kaylie thinking she's a gymnast and deserves to win.
Everyone didn't believe in her, but she succeeded and learned to say no to others. MJ, her official manager hooked her up with her male rival Nicky Russo as a golden couple. She felt like in horror, especially since she had been making Payson Keeler jealous.
Nicky Russo and Kaylie had to do a duet for being a golden couple even though they hated each other. Nicky made Kaylie cry by saying she came out of nowhere, when she had stuck to her routine since she was 6. Kaylie called him a bully, but then he apologized and said he doesn't wish she was Payson. They ended up doing an amazing duet for the 'fun night' and got Payson jealous which she left in the middle of it, and went to the wrong crowd saying to Nicky that she has a boyfriend. Later on Kaylie thanks Nicky for being out there for her, and having butterflies in her stomach since she broke up with Carter Anderson. She also said she admitted that those moments were real, he agreed. So she wants to stay away from him since Payson likes him. He told Kaylie that he was leaving since there was too much "drama". She hugged him and they said that, that isn't the best way in the world.
Payson Keeler apologized to Kaylie about thinking that she likes him, so later on while Payson goes to 'High School'. Their having a prom, and Kaylie, Emily and Lauren are invited so they try to enjoy it. Then Carter Anderson asks for Kaylie to dance, but she rejects him and goes dancing with a unknown guy so he gets jealous and stands up to Kaylie. WORST PROM EVER!
Later on the Rock girls new coach "Sasha Belov" loses the job in getting the National team coach. Unfortunately its Marty that gets the job, and since he had an affair with Kaylie's mother, Kaylie tries to get the rock girls to make him miserable. Sasha finds out, and punches Marty. The rock girls and coach get into serious trouble so they don't make the team, exception of Lauren.
The rock girls find out that the American National team lost against China, which Lauren did a horrible job at, since she didn't have support from her teammates. Sasha invites China to verse Rocky Mountain elites. Which got the National team angry, but they had a deal if Rocky Gym wins more medals than the National team the Elites get to be on the team.
Kaylie's manager says that it will ruin her career if she does it. They all tell her off, but her parents said that they can't control Kaylie, so they go do competition. The National team had 4 medals, while the Rocky Gym has 4 medals, Sasha tells Kaylie to do the triple twist on beam, so she can redeem herself and she does it! She wins gold and she becomes the first person in all of the world to beat Gengi Cho.
Season 2[]
At the start of season 2, Kaylie is at the top of her gymnastics career but her mental state is not doing well, she kept trying to prove her self even though everyone believed in her. Kaylie, Payson, Lauren and Emily go to France for a meet and when they reach the hotel they see Austin Tucker being bombarded by fans, Kaylie insisted that they should go up to him presuming he knew who she was. Kaylie approached him and he thought she was just another fan, she was instantly embarrassed and walked away. Later that night she had gone to get ice for the room, when she was on her way back she saw Austin and a model heading her way, Kaylie picked up a telephone and turned her face hoping he wouldn't see her. Austin recognised her instantly and asked if she wanted to go to a party with him, Kaylie told him who she was and he said that he was a fan of hers but in the end, she declined the offer because she had to train in the morning, Austin replied to that by saying; "That's why I never date gymnasts"
Relationships[]
- Ronnie Cruz: Ronnie is Leo and Kaylie's mother. Ronnie had an affair with Marty, the former coach of The Rock. Ronnie was a model and singer who went platinum in the early '80's to late '90s. Kaylie finally forces her mother to admit to her affair, which causes Alex to move out and file for divorce, despite Kaylie's pleas. She and Alex promised Kaylie they would wait six months before divorcing in hopes of getting them back together. She is also Kaylie's new Co-Manager, handling her press.
- Alex Cruz: Alex is Leo and Kaylie's father, a former baseball star with an anger issue. Alex pushes Kaylie to the maximum level until she finally fires him as her manager so that he can be her father. He hates Carter for being involved with Kaylie. When he discovers that his wife was having an affair with Marty, Alex moves out and eventually files for divorce from Ronnie. He along with Ronnie promised Kaylie to wait six months before divorcing. He is also Kaylie's new Co-Manager, handling her training. Kalyie hopes this will help them get back together.
- Leo Cruz: Leo is Kaylie's older brother. Leo is in college, but is now moving back to Boulder to help Sasha with some coaching at The Rock. Leo is good friends with Emily. He has shown chemistry and feelings towards Emily, but was shoved in the background upon Damon's arrival. He shows great care towards his sister, hitting Carter once he is notified of Carter's affair with Lauren. Leo is smart and a decent athlete, but was never as good at gymnastics as his sister, Kaylie.
Kaylie broke the rule at the Rock that no gymnast can have a boyfriend by dating another gymnast named Carter Anderson. Her friend Lauren Tanner slept with Carter at a kegger in the episode "Blowing Off Steam". The truth appears in the episode "Where is Kaylie?"
Kaylie was angry at Carter and Lauren. When Summer Van Horne told Sasha that Carter was meeting with a Rock girl, Sasha expelled him from the gym. Carter, even when Sasha asks her, does not say with whom was the girl with whom he had relations.
After Kaylie's victory at Nationals, she and male silver medalist Nicky Russo were placed together for advertising purposes. At first they did not get along because Nicky thought she was a spoiled princess who came out of nowhere to get the gold medal and tells her that she not even a serious gymnast. However, the two put aside their differences and perform a duet floor routine together (per Sasha's request) in the Rock Open House Exhibition. They also start to have feelings for each other, but decide not to pursue them out of respect for Payson. Nicky then transfers from The Rock to the Denver Elite Gymnasts Club (where Kelly Parker trains) because he wanted to get away from the drama of The Rock.
Kaylie decides to swear the boys and concentrate solely on gymnastics, but in season 2 she meets Austin Tucker, a gymnast who won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. Austin worries about Kaylie and remarks She does not eat. Austin's little sister went through an eating disorder, so he tries to help Kaylie. When Kaylie collapses during Worlds, Austin catches her when she falls from the beam and is seen holding her hand in the hospital. Austin also hit Damon, Emily's boyfriend.
She falls in love with Austin Tucker and tries to help Austin with his floor routine to survive the last cuts to enter the world team heading for the Olympics. She recommends substituting an easier trick in to help with his injured shoulder. To show her support, she gives him a page of her journal which talks about the day she told him she loved him. Austin meets with Kaylie he next day believing he made the final cuts by claiming that they did not even want to see his rings routine. Austin discovers that he does not make the team and blames Kaylie for distracting him and tell her she stopped his dream of going to the Olympics for another gold medal.
During Olympic Trials, Kaylie is told she cannot compete due to failing her drug test. After an investigation by Lauren, it is discovered the Wendy had been drugging Kaylie to get her thrown out of Trials. Austin comes to apologize to Kaylie and the two reconcile. Kaylie then goes on to make the Olympic team along with Payson, Jordan, and Lauren.
Competition Results[]
- 2009 National Gymnastics Championships: 1st (All-around)
- 2010 Rock vs Chinese National Team Invitational: 1st (Beam), 2nd (Floor)
- 2010 French Invitational: 1st (All-around)
- 2010 World Team Trials: 2nd (all-around)
- 2011 World Championships: 1st (Team)
- 2012 Olympic Trials: 3rd (all-around)
Trivia[]
- Kaylie's signature colour is pink. All but one of her leotards is pink or has pink accents.
- Her mother is a retired popstar.
- Her hair is always pulled into a ponytail for practice and competition.
- She has won several awards:
- National Champion for 2008, 2009
- All Around gold medalist at French Invitational
- Team Gold at Worlds 2011
- It is a popular theory that Kaylie is bulimic, due to her fainting and wearing pads under her clothes.
- To everyone's surprise, she is a good singer and songwriter.
