Abby Lee Miller’s Career is Far from Over—Mad House debuts this September
Image Courtesy: YouTube
Abby Lee Miller is back and crazier than ever before. Despite her recent incarceration, health issues, and loss of her hit show Dance Moms, Abby has decided to reclaim the Abby Lee Dance Company name and fame. Her new reality show, Mad House, is coming to Brandon TV on September 29th.
Miller has recruited young adults from all over the nation to move into her “Mad House” and prove their worth as professional dancers to the notorious dance coach. Similarly to Dance Moms, the dancers will be faced with the pressure of training under Miller. Brutal rehearsals and demanding challenges may push them to the breaking point. Unlike Dance Moms, however, the aggressive mothers of the dancers will not be taking center stage this go-round. The dancers themselves will provide all of the drama for viewers to indulge in.
No one can deny that Miller has had the comeback of the century. According to The U.S. Sun, In 2015, Miller was indicted on 20 counts of fraud and accused of hiding over $755,000 she acquired from Dance Moms. In 2017, she was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and sentenced to 366 days in prison and pay a total of $160,000 in fines. In 2018, Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. This diagnosis was a get-out-of-jail-free card, but her loss of mobility landed her in a wheelchair indefinitely.
Image Courtesy: People
Miller has since sold her famous Pittsburg studio and is moving on to bigger and better things. According to Entertainment Tonight, the move was incredibly “bittersweet.” “I didn't sell my name. I didn't sell my brand. I didn't sell my life's work," she explained. "I sold brick, mortar, cinder blocks, and an amazing dance floor that is still in mint condition. The best floors that I ever stood on."
Now she’s onto her next project: Mad House. Many are questioning whether Miller should be given another opportunity to exploit and torment young dancers. The majority of her past Dance Moms cast have spoken out against Miller and her unconventional teaching methods.
Maddie Ziegler, a past star on Dance Moms, expressed to Cosmopolitan the relief she experienced after extracting herself from Miller’s vice-like grip. “I was sick of being in a toxic environment,” Ziegler explained. “I was like, ‘This is not for me. I can’t do this.’ I haven’t spoken to her since.”
Mackenzie Ziegler, Maddie’s younger sister, was also a cast member on the show. "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,” Mackenzie expressed to Maddie in an interview with Elite Daily.
"It broke my heart that you got compared to me so much as a dancer," Maddie replied. "Like, if you didn’t win, why weren’t you as good as Maddie? That is so heartbreaking. Everyone should be allowed to shine in their own ways."
Image Courtesy: The List
Chloe Lukasiak was often Miller’s favorite punching bag on the show. Lukasiak and her mother left the show after Miller mocked the young dancer’s medical disability. In a 2019 YouTube video Lukasiak stated, "If you know anything about Dance Moms, you probably know I was my former dance teacher’s least favorite student… As much respect as I have for her as a dance teacher and as a person and, of course, with everything she’s going through right now, what she did was horrible."
Nia Sioux distanced herself from Miller after the show ended. She told US Weekly that she would not reconcile with her dance teacher anytime soon. “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 admitted.
Will Mad House be another excuse for Miller to humiliate and torment young dancers, or has the teacher actually turned over a new leaf? Viewers will have to see for themselves.
Strike Out,
Writer: Layne Schulte
Editor: Cristina Angee
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