No longer at the top of the pyramid. Abby Lee MillerHer reputation was for turning students into stars. Dance MomsHowever, many of her former costars regret the things they had to do in order to succeed.
“I had more stress [on the show]I felt more at peace after I left than I did when I returned. I have dissociated so much from that time,” Maddie ZieglerStarred on the Lifetime reality TV series from 2011 to 2016, telling CosmopolitanIn June 2022. “It’s weird because there were really amazing times, but there were also a lot of things that were really, really not great for us kids.”
The West Side StoryThe actress said that it took her a while to stop attaching her self-worth to winning dance contests. “My dance teacher taught that if you don’t get the trophy, if you don’t get the crown, you are less than, which is the worst way to train a kid. It is a life lesson that can be applied to all aspects of your life. We also weren’t allowed to watch our competitors or be friends with them. I’ve had to unlearn a lot of those things,” she explained.
She continued: “I did watch a little bit of an episode from the very beginning to show my boyfriend [Eddie Benjamin] … And we both were like, ‘This is sad. This needs to be turned off.’”
Miller fired back at Ziegler’s claims the following day, claiming that the former So You Think You Can Dance judge felt “at home” at her studio. “I was fighting for everything, for these kids to be the best that they could be on television,” the dance teacher said in the video, adding that she was responsible for all of Ziegler’s success. “I know that what I did for Maddie, with Maddie, helped her succeed.”
Miller has been vocal in her defense of her controversial teaching methods, often pointing out Abby Lee Dance Company alumni who have gone on to become professional dancers. However, others have claimed that Miller did more harm than good.
In October 2014, a lawsuit was brought on behalf a former student Paige Hyland(She was 13 years old at the time) that claimed she was subjected to emotional abuse during her time at ALDC. The suit also alleged that Miller pinched students until they bled and “insulted and abused Paige on an almost daily basis, including cruel name calling, insults about Paige’s physical appearance and making offensive false and defamatory accusation [sic] about Paige’s family.” The suit was dismissed in July 2015.
When Dancing With the StarsPro Cheryl BurkeMiller’s replacement, he was replaced by. Dance Moms, she claimed that the girls were “traumatized” from their experiences working with their former teacher. “The girls are so precious, and I feel like they are traumatized from what has happened with Abby, and it’s important for me to still be strict and do what I do,” the ballroom dancer told Us WeeklyMay 2017, “I expect nothing but the best from the girls, but it’s also important for me to make them feel confident about themselves because they are all beautiful and talented.”
Keep scrolling for all the Dance Moms’ comments about Miller over the years.
