Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller is speaking out against criticism of the hit reality TV show from fellow former cast members.
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While speaking to Los Angeles media outlet KTLA, Miller shared her thoughts about the cast members, who talked about their “toxic” experience with the show.
“They would not be where they are today without the show,” the notorious dance teacher pointed out. “Someone should learn to say thank you.”
She also claimed, “I don’t even think they would be where they are without me.”
Miller then noted that being part of her self-titled dance company was a key accomplishment for a dancer who wanted to continue further in the industry.
“I have a lot of successful students,” she further shared. “I have a kid on Broadway. Another director, producer, choreographer on Broadway. I have kids that are out there working in the industry constantly… There are many names I could just roll through.”
Miller noted that most of her former students are “grateful” and “proud” that she had taught them. “If their parents would have sent them to any other studio in town, they would not be where they are today,” she claimed. “I don’t think the girls have really put that together yet. Maybe someday they will.”
Dance Moms first premiered in 2011. The first season cast included Chloe Lukasiak, Brooke and Paige Hyland, Nia Sioux, and Maddie and Kenzie Ziegler. Over time, Kendall Vertes, Kalani Hilliker, and JoJo Siwa were added to the main cast.
The show featured the ups and downs of the dancers being part of the Abby Lee Dance Company’s junior elite dance competition team. The dancers and their moms would often be pinned against each other by Miller.
The original show ended in 2020 after Miller was accused of racism.
Miller Was Not Part of the 2024 ‘Dance Moms’ Reunion That Featured the Majority of the Original Cast
Years after the show ended, most of the original cast appeared on Lifetime’s Dance Moms reunion special. The 2024 event featured Chloe Lukasiak, Brooke and Paige Hyland, Kendall Vertes, Kalani Hilliker, and JoJo Siwa.
Some of the mom cast, such as Kelly Hyland, Jill Vertes, Kira Girard, and Jessalynn Siwa, were also featured in the reunion. However, the Ziegler sister, their mom, as well as Nia and her mom, Dr. Holly Hatcher-Fraizer, did not participate.
Miller was not involved in the reunion at the request of some of the dancers. Sources said that Miller’s absence gave the dancers a chance to “speak their minds more openly” about their experiences on the show.
Kendall did give her former dance coach some credit during the reunion. She stated during the special that she and the cast “would not be here without Dance Moms. The former competitive dancer then said the show was “literally the stepping stone into who” they are today.
Siwa also criticized the original cast members, who didn’t appear on the reunion. “Them not being here is kind of like, ‘Let me erase my past, pretend it never happened, shove it down the drain.’ When it’s like – that’s why you are who you are.”
Paige admitted that it was hard for her to forgive Miller despite the show’s success. “She did so many nasty things to me,” she pointed out.
“I don’t think anybody can explain how complicated all of our relationships are with her,” Kalani pointed out.