Summary
- Abby Lee Miller's tough love and harsh training methods have led to former dancers calling her treatment abusive and toxic.
- JoJo Siwa defends Abby, saying her tough love taught her to stand on her own and have thick skin in Hollywood.
- Despite controversy, Abby's rigorous training style continues to be a hot topic of conversation among former dancers and fans.
Dance Moms instructor Abby Lee Miller's dance training tactics have always been a hot topic of conversation. On the show, viewers watched her no-nonsense attitude, tough love, and harsh approach to guiding her dance students to success. Because of her rigorous teaching styles, it wouldn't be surprising to see many of her students cry, including making former dancer JoJo Siwa shed a few tears. Since the show ended, many people have called Abby's treatment of her students abusive and toxic.
Abby continues to run her Abby Lee Dance Company in Los Angeles. However, some of her famous former dancers have not had a relationship with Abby since the show ended. These dancers have varying opinions on Abby and have made them publicly known. Unfortunately, most of them are not good. Here's where the famous instructor stands with her dancers today.
Does 'Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller Have Any Kids?
Abby has trained tons of young dancers, but does she have kids of her own?
Abby Lee Miller Does Not Have A Good Relationship With Her Former Dancers
When Abby Lee Miller was not invited to the Dance Moms reunion, it was a telling sign that her relationship with her former dancers was rocky. Lifetime aired the Dance Moms: The Reunion in May and several dancers returned, including JoJo Siwa, Chloe Lukasiak, Kendall Vertes, Kalani Hilliker, and Brooke and Paige Hyland.
Abby revealed that she believed she was not invited to the reunion because no one wanted her to be there. It was partially true, as former dancers have admitted that they not only had no contact with Abby, but believed she was cruel, and her dance methods negatively impacted the girls as they got older.
As Life & Style reported, dancer Nia Sioux, who was not at the reunion, once called Abby "the biggest bully in America" on TikTok. Nia had previously admitted that she wanted to work on her relationship with her former instructor, but had clearly changed her stance. "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," she said.
The Richest Dance Moms Stars Ranked By Net Worth
From the moment the dancers at the Abby Lee Company stepped out on the scene, fans knew they were going to be stars!
Another former dancer who also called out Abby was Maddie Ziegler. Maddie and her sister, Mackenzie Zielger, were also not present at the show's reunion. Maddie spent most of her childhood dancing with the Abby Lee Dance Company and she and her sister were on the show for Seasons 1-6.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan in 2022, Maddie described training at Abby's studio as toxic.
"She trained me, she helped me, but also, I knew I would be OK without her and I was sick of being in a toxic environment. I was like, 'This is not for me. I can't do this.' I haven't spoken to her since.'"
In addition, Maddie revealed that she tried to leave the show in the earlier seasons, but because she was under contract, she could not. She also stated that she was "at peace" with the fact that she and Abby no longer speak.
In 2023, Maddie stated while speaking to Emily Ratajkowski on her High Low with EmRata podcast, that being on the show resulted in her having panic attacks as an adult. The pressure to be perfect at such a young age and the intense filming schedule took a toll on Maddie.
"I've blocked out so much of my childhood that I actually don't know what my life was like even before working."
Maddie's opinion of the show and of Abby, resonated with a lot of viewers. However, there is one dancer that does not feel the same. She actually found the most fame after the show ended.
Abby Lee Miller Hated The Idea Of Becoming A Performer Before Appearing On Dance Moms
While Abby Lee Miller's wealth of knowledge on Dance Moms is undisputable, being a dancer was never really her forte.
JoJo Siwa Still Speaks To Abby Lee Miller And Thanked Her For Her Controversial Training
JoJo Siwa only starred in Dance Moms for two seasons, but she did not believe she experienced the same toxicity as her former castmate did while dancing for the Abby Lee Dance Company. In fact, she believed Abby's tough love was good for her and the other dancers. Fans have since called JoJo "delusional" for her comments.
"This is going to be a little controversial to say, I think, but to me, Abby was always right," JoJo said at the reunion.
JoJo went on to add that Abby taught her how to stand on her own and have guts, especially in a place like Hollywood. She shared that when the dance instructor would yell at her, it was only because she wanted JoJo to prepare for the real world and have thick skin.
Fans who watched the reunion special were not happy with JoJo defending Abby. A comment read, "JoJo is so delusional, I cannot understand how she think's Abby behavior towards the girls was okay. Hopefully she looks back and changes her mind. However, I do agree that you have to work hard for what you want, but that doesn't excuse Abby's actions."
Abby's rigorous style of training was indeed controversial. JoJo may have defended her former dance instructor, but she did not dance or film for Abby and the series as long as Maddie had. With an entirely new series airing on Lifetime, called Dance Moms: A New Era, without Abby, it'll be interesting to see a new coach's training style.
