What to Know
In the years since Dance Moms came to an end, more than one of Abby Lee Miller’s former students has spoken out against their childhood dance coach and her controversial methods.
One of the most outspoken voices has been Maddie Ziegler, who has called the environment that Abby and the popular reality show created for their young dancers “toxic.” Now that Abby has her opportunity to fire back at Maddie’s comments, it’s absolutely not pretty.
Maddie’s comments about Dance Moms made headlines in 2022.
Maddie was speaking to Cosmopolitan at the time, admitting that Abby was “distraught” when she decided to leave her studio in 2016.
“She trained me, she helped me, but also, I knew I would be okay without her and I was sick of being in a toxic environment,” Maddie said at the time. “I was like, ‘This is not for me. I can’t do this.’ I haven’t spoken to her since. I feel at peace.”
She added that she had been trying to get out of her contract with Dance Moms for years at that point, but it was “really hard.” So really, if Maddie had her way, she would have been off the show a long time before she actually ended up leaving.
Abby is unimpressed.
In an interview with E! Online, Abby fired back at Maddie’s comments — even though it’s been several years since she first made them. It sounds like they really got under her skin!
“When you wanted to win and you wanted to come in extra and you wanted more private lessons and you were the driving force, not your mother — she was looking for husband No. 3, why didn’t you say it then?” Abby asked, referencing Maddie saying that Dance Moms was a toxic environment.
Abby even took her response to a very personal level, mentioning the collapse of Maddie’s parents’ relationship.
“When your mother and father are screaming obscenities across the room and you’re hugging me and you’re holding on to me as tight as you can, Maddie, why didn’t tell me then you don’t want to do a solo every week?” she said. “You don’t want to win every week. You don’t want to be in the front. You could have said that easily to me.”
If Maddie ever wants to speak to Abby again, Abby said that she will need to “speak to your elder.” But after hearing what Abby has to say, it seems doubtful that Maddie will be reaching out.
She doesn’t have very fond feelings for other Dance Moms alum who have spoken out, either.
While speaking to Los Angeles news station KTLA earlier this month, Abby had another message for former Dance Moms stars who might want to speak out against her and her coaching.
“I think they’re just very ungrateful,” she said. “I think the girls themselves, [they’ve said it’s] toxic the show and their memories, this that and the other thing and all their therapy — whatever. They would not be where they are today without the show. Someone should learn to say thank you.”
Yikes.
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