The Real Reason ‘Dance Moms’ Abby Lee Miller and Maddie Ziegler No Longer Speak
Dance Moms has helped cultivate the talent of many amazing young dancers for years. Thanks to the Lifetime show that chronicled the lives of the children attending the Abby Lee Dance Company, we got an in-depth look into what it takes to be successful in a difficult industry. And it seems some of the young girls who are just teens now have already found their way to fame.
Maddie Ziegler is one of the biggest successes of the show. We’ve seen her in music videos, films, and writing her own memoirs at just 16 years old. And though she attended the dance company for years, she reportedly no longer speaks to instructor Abby Lee Miller. Here’s why.
Ziegler left post-Season 6 after mounting pressures from the show
Ziegler was a standout performer on Dance Moms since the show began in 2011 — but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t feeling the pressure. Miller was known for her tough-love antics, and though she helped cultivate all of Ziegler’s dance skills over the years, the pressure was still on for the little girl. When Ziegler finally made the move to leave the series after Season 6 and work more closely with the singer Sia as her mentor, she told Seventeen, “Now, I feel like I’m so free.” And it appears that her leaving behind the reality TV series was also her step toward leaving behind Miller’s stressful ways.
When the publication asked Ziegler if Miller was as intense in real life as she was on the show, Ziegler confirmed, “She’s exactly how she is on the show. … I feel like I had so much more pressure on me to be the best in the room.” And though Ziegler would never come out and say anything harsh about Miller directly, it appears that Miller’s teaching style was a huge source of contention for the young dancer.
Ziegler never even mentioned Miller in her tell-all book, The Maddie Diaries
Ziegler made a name for herself for her dance skills, but she also wrote a bestselling book, The Maddie Diaries. The book recounts her experience on the show and her life with her current mentor (whom she adores), Sia. While many read the memoir and expected Ziegler to dish about Miller, she actually didn’t mention her at all. Instead, the young dancer recounted a few darker moments from the show and dance world that gave readers a clue into why the two no longer speak.
Radar Online reports Ziegler wrote in her book, “Before I met [Sia], I would say yes to a lot of things I didn’t want to do. … I’d be overwhelmed by the amount of work on my plate.” She also mentioned that she “did a lot of crying” in the early years of the show, and she was even pushed to perform when she was sick. “I remember I once had bronchitis and I could barely breathe without coughing … I literally had to hold my breath through the numbers so I wouldn’t start a coughing fit.”
It appeared Miller was hurt by what Ziegler mentioned in the book, too, as she refused to promote the memoir and instead urged her social media followers to check out the projects of her other students.
Miller says she’s disappointed she never hears from Ziegler
According to Us Weekly, Miller never had a real falling out with Ziegler, which made Ziegler’s lack of communication post-Dance Moms all the more shocking. The fact that Ziegler never reached out to Miller even during Miller’s battles in court and health issues was surprising to many. Miller stated to the publication that she was “disappointed” she never spoke to the young dancer anymore, “’cause that’s not the kid I raised.”
Miller went on to say that she tells all of her friends about how talented Ziegler is, but she still never hears back. “I talk to the media, I might not pick up the phone and call her, but I tell everybody else!” she said. Miller also added, “I don’t think had she not been in my studio, she would be where she is today. …I hope that she doesn’t forget the good times cause there were a lot more good times than bad times.”
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