Former Dance Moms Stars Who Want Nothing To Do With Abby Lee Miller Today
2011 was a stellar time in the world of reality television. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries got married on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," HGTV introduced us to the iconic "Property Brothers," and we met several young Pittsburgh dancers training at the Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC) on the premiere episode of the undeniably bingeable "Dance Moms."
For eight seasons, fans watched as choreography was taught, dance competitions were won, and moms bickered relentlessly over their daughters' time in the spotlight. Their dance teacher, Abby Lee Miller, proved to be a compelling antagonist, often critiquing, berating, and even bullying her students and their mothers. Many of the original cast members of "Dance Moms" moved on to bigger and better things — perhaps none more so than Maddie Ziegler — but there were more than a few who exited both the ALDC and the show on a sour note.
Like countless reality series, "Dance Moms" wasn't always entirely authentic, and many cast members have spoken out about how the producers escalated certain scenarios for the drama. However, it's Miller who has consistently received the worst rap from parents and ex-students alike, with one of them even attempting to sue the dance coach for the trauma she caused. From name calling to physical abuse and racist remarks, here are the reasons why so many former "Dance Moms" stars want nothing to do with Abby Lee Miller today.
Maddie Ziegler hasn't spoken to Abby Lee Miller since 2016
The ALDC was filled with so many young wannabe stars, including Maddie Ziegler, and the girls would often make music and star in each other's music videos. In 2014, Ziegler was discovered by pop diva Sia and became the music video icon for the singer, before she eventually moved on to singing and acting in other projects.
It's no secret that Ziegler was always Abby Lee Miller's star pupil. The young dancer was given center stage, the most solos, and every opportunity imaginable. Though, now that Ziegler is a veritable star, she and Miller have never been farther apart, having not spoken since 2016. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, the dancer explained that she had been trying to leave "Dance Moms" for three years before finally quitting. Describing Miller's reaction, Ziegler said, "She was distraught." The star explained her decision, adding, "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." She doesn't intend on rekindling things with her former dance coach, either. "I feel at peace," she concluded.
Having taken Ziegler's Cosmopolitan interview incredibly personally, Miller confirmed to Entertainment Tonight in March 2023 that she would not be inviting Ziegler to participate in her latest "Dance Moms" spin off. "[Ziegler] absolutely wants nothing to do with me and that's sad, but it is what it is," Miller stated.
Paige Hyland tried to sue her former dance coach
Paige Hyland starred in "Dance Moms" alongside her sister Brooke from Season 1 until their exit in Season 4. Their mom Kelly was reportedly arrested after a particularly intense argument with Abby Lee Miller that turned physical, and although the girls had been with the dance studio for many years before the cameras were around, this altercation was officially the last straw. The dancers and their mother left the ALDC and "Dance Moms" in 2014, and shortly thereafter, Hyland filed a lawsuit against her former dance coach.
According to the court documents obtained by In Touch Weekly, Miller was physically abusive and would pinch her students "until they bled." The lawsuit also noted, "Miller even tossed a chair during a confrontation with Paige ... causing Paige to run from the room terrified as she feared she would be physically injured by Miller."
The dancer's lawyer Michael Shapiro told TMZ at the time, "I'm not looking to make a lot of money off this. I think what Miller has done to the kids is intolerable and has got to stop." He added, "It's the most repugnant case I've been involved in after 49 years of practice." Somehow, despite the plentiful footage captured by the show's production team, the court dismissed Hyland's case citing insufficient evidence. Miller's teaching methods have long been in question, but unfortunately, with this lawsuit leading nowhere, she faced no serious repercussions for her actions.
Chloe Lukasiak says Miller made fun of her medical condition
All of the OG cast of "Dance Moms" eventually left Abby Lee Miller's studio for one reason or another. Chloe Lukasiak had been a part of the ALDC long before "Dance Moms" and was a series regular until Season 4 when she and her mom Christi made their exit.
Lukasiak clarified that the real reason she left "Dance Moms" was because Miller had made fun of her medical condition. In a 2015 YouTube video, Lukasiak explained that she had silent sinus syndrome, which caused one of her eyes to appear smaller than the other. While she was waiting for medical test results about her eye, Lukasiak remarked that she heard several comments being made about her eye. "Even an adult in my life made fun of [my eye] not knowing or caring what was really going on, or not even bothering to ask," she said.
In another YouTube video released by Lukasiak, she divulged more details on the situation, claiming that the actual comments Miller made didn't make the final cut of the show. "My dance teacher decided to start yelling at my mom about me. ... I just happened to be listening and I heard everything she said, and they didn't show it on 'Dance Moms'. ... She made fun of me," the dancer stated. Lukasiak and her mother decided to quit the show, and although they did reappear on the final season, it was a short-lived reunion.
Brooke Hyland shaded Abby Lee Miller in 2020
The Hyland sisters had known Abby Lee Miller for many years before the cameras started rolling at the ALDC, but in "Dance Moms" Season 2, Brooke Hyland began developing interests outside of dance and decided to try out for cheerleading instead of attending rehearsals. As the eldest of the group, this put her in a bad spot with Miller for the remainder of her time on the series, as the dancer was often told that she had to set a stellar example for the rest of the dancers.
According to Hyland, their dance teacher's antics escalated over the years. She spoke with London Live in 2015, the year after her mom had a physical altercation with Miller and their family exited the show. Hyland explained, "We also dealt with ... our dance teacher since we were 2. ... she got worse as like, the show went on."
In a 2020 TikTok video captioned "Facebook, figure it out," Hyland said, "Facebook telling me I have a new friend suggestion," as she pointed the camera to her screen, showing that the friend suggestion was Miller. She winced and shook her head in the video. And while this could have been interpreted as lighthearted commentary about her time on "Dance Moms," JoJo Siwa took Hyland's video as unnecessary shade. The former co-star wasn't having it — Siwa commented, "It's one thing to just not add her back, it's another to post it..."
Nia Sioux doesn't plan on reconciling with her former dance coach
Nia Sioux outlasted every other core cast member of "Dance Moms," having been on the show from day one and dancing in seven of the show's eight seasons. Sioux transformed during her time on the series, from a 9-year-old with poor turnout to a teenaged elite member of the ALDC.
Since leaving "Dance Moms," Sioux has been incredibly successful in her career, having booked a recurring role on "The Bold and Beautiful" in 2018 and dropping several singles over the years. Of course, she wouldn't be where she is today without Abby Lee Miller, whom she acknowledged in a 2018 Us Weekly interview. "I really learned so much from her. I think one thing that I take from working with her is I learned how to deal with difficult people, with different types of people," Sioux explained.
During this period, "Dance Moms" had ended as Miller was sentenced to a year in prison for bankruptcy fraud. When Us Weekly asked Sioux whether she would rekindle her relationship with her former coach and mentor upon Miller's release, the dancer replied, "Probably not. Never say never, but I've pretty much distanced myself for a while." Clearly, Sioux has managed to step away from the toxicity that was "Dance Moms" and make her way in the industry without Miller's guidance.
The Ziegler sisters learned to lean on each other despite Miller
Kenzie Ziegler was unfortunately set up to always be in her big sister Maddie Ziegler's shadow. Abby Lee Miller would constantly pit the sisters against one another, despite the two-year age gap that forced Kenzie to play catch-up with Maddie. Speaking jointly with Elite Daily, Maddie said, "It broke my heart that you got compared to me so much as a dancer. Like, if you didn't win, [it was] 'why weren't you as good as Maddie?' That is so heartbreaking."
Thankfully, they had each other to count on when times got tough because they were in the same boat. As Kenzie said, "Our teacher, the environment we were in — it was all very stressful as a kid. I'm glad we were doing the same thing so I could have a shoulder to lean on."
Despite the fact that the Ziegler sisters left "Dance Moms" in 2016, the drama with Miller still hasn't stopped. Following Kenzie's appearance on "Dancing With the Stars: Juniors," her former dance coach ridiculed her participation in a "Dance Moms" group chat, which was screenshotted and shared widely. Miller then publicly criticized the teen's budding music career, to which Kenzie replied, "Love when people can't keep my name out of their mouth just to stay relevant."
Kendall Vertes said that Miller called her fat
Kendall Vertes and her mom Jill caused quite a stir when they joined "Dance Moms" in Season 2, as they came in with a reputation as "studio hoppers." But over the years the two became accepted as part of the group. Today, Vertes is an accomplished dancer, singer, and actor, and despite how she feels about Abby Lee Miller, she has acknowledged that her former dance instructor played a pivotal role in her career.
Speaking on the "Off-Schedule" podcast, the dancer explained, "I have nothing but respect for Abby. She got me obviously to where I am today." However, she also divulged details about the emotional abuse she faced behind the scenes. "We were 8, 9 years old and she would tell us we were fat, washed up, ugly, shouldn't be here, we're too privileged, we're not swift ... she would just say things that little kids didn't even know how to comprehend," Vertes shared.
The dancer also added that the show's producers actually made Miller appear nicer than she actually was, a sentiment that her mom echoed in a Studio 10 interview. "People think that it's gotta be for the cameras, and it's not," Jill Vertes said. "It's really who she is ... you guys will all attest she would be worse when the cameras weren't around because she really doesn't want everybody to hate her."
Kalani Hilliker didn't speak with her former dance coach for years
Several former "Dance Moms" stars have made it big, like Kalani Hilliker, who joined the fifth season of the show in 2014 as the oldest ALDC member. Since the show ended, Hilliker has gone on to act, release a cosmetics line, and even teach dance, which she spoke about in a July 2023 interview with Access Hollywood. "I'm not really in contact with [Abby Lee Miller], I have no ill feelings or any issues. ... I just have a different way of how I relay corrections and things to my kids, just because I know what I went through and ... I would never want to put, you know, my kids I teach through that," Hilliker explained.
Most of the " Dance Moms" stars have remained grateful to Miller despite her toxic teaching methods, including Hilliker, who described her feelings towards her former dance coach as "forever grateful" when speaking with People in September 2023. She explained, "I didn't talk to Abby for a long time [after the show ended]. But she recently just reached out to me and asked me to be on her podcast. Obviously I don't agree with everything she's done to other people, but we all make mistakes." So while Hilliker has kept her distance from Miller, she's certainly not as closed off from patching things up as some of her former co-stars.
Camryn Bridges and others called Abby Lee Miller out for racist remarks
Abby Lee Miller has been accused of a lot of harmful behavior over the years, but it wasn't until Seasons 7 and 8 that she was called out for her racist remarks. Nia Sioux had been the only dancer of color on "Dance Moms" until Miller brought Camryn Bridges onto the team in 2016. As the dancer explained to Hollywood Life in 2020, "She put me in the back before and she told me, she said, 'I brought you here to light a fire under Nia's butt.' ... There were just comments that she always wanted to put me down and somehow throw something that had to do with Black people or Blackness for no reason."
Kamryn and her mother Adrianna Smith also experienced racism from Miller during Season 8, which Adrianna called her out for on Instagram. She claimed Miller had told her, "I know you grew up in the HOOD with only a box of 8 crayons, but I grew up in the country club with a box of 64 — don't be stupid."
Miller later released a public apology addressed to Kamryn and Adrianna, but neither of the women who had come forward about the dance teacher's remarks were impressed, as they considered Miller's statement insincere. Bridges explained, "I think it's total BS. She didn't issue [an apology] to us! She issued one to everybody else."