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Abby Lee Miller responded to Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler's claim that the reality show environment was "toxic" on her own YouTube channel on Thursday, June 15, 2022.
The reality dance competition ran for eight seasons on Lifetime and premiered in 2011 showcasing the weekly schedule of ALDC's junior elite competition team and documenting them as their mothers tried their best to get them to the top of their pyramid. The team originally included Maddie Ziegler and her younger sister, Mackenzie Ziegler, as well as Nia Sioux, Chloe Lukasiak, Brooke Hyland and Paige Hyland.
Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler starred for six seasons of Dance Moms before leaving the series, along with their mother Melissa Gisonia. Their dramatic exit was caught on camera, with Abby locking herself in the office and weeping.
The West Side Story actress revealed to US Weekly in June 2018 that the family didn't keep in contact with her teacher, however, she wished her teacher the best.
Abby Lee Miller responds to former student Maddie Ziegler's "toxic" comment
The Abby Lee Dance founder defended her coaching style days after her former Dance Moms student Maddie Ziegler called the reality show "toxic" and said:
“[Abby] was distraught [when I left]. For the longest time, we felt so guilty. 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. I feel at peace.”
In a YouTube video uploaded to her channel on Wednesday, the star referred to the comment and asked of The Fallout star as to why she remained on the show if she felt it was toxic. The teacher also confessed that she tried quitting but had to return because she had signed a contract.
She also revealed that the kids never had a contract and only the moms did. Elaborating on the same, the star said that if Maddie didn't want to be there, she could have said it out loud.
“Newsflash: the kids in the original cast never had a contract. The moms had a contract, but the kids, well … they were just kind of there on a handshake. I thought [Maddie] wanted to be there. If she said, ‘I don’t want to go, I’m not going,’ kicking and screaming, stomping her feet, I’m sure her mother wouldn’t have brought her — or she would have come and talked to me about it. She never did that.”
The Abby's Studio Rescue alum further alleged in the YouTube video that her former student "felt at home" at the ALDC studio, which was where Maddie had her breakthrough as a star and "where everybody knew her name." She recalled that Maddie was a "kid that I loved" and was responsible for the latter's frequent collaborations with singer-songwriter Sia.
“I was fighting for everything, for these kids to be the best that they could be on television. I know that what I did for Maddie, with Maddie, helped her succeed.”
Maddie revealed to Cosmopolitan that her "bucket list" involves opening up a production company inspired by Reese Witherspoon in the future and also marking her debut at the Met Gala. She also confessed that acting is what is "taking over" the star's world, and that she loved working on The Fallout with Megan Park. The star also revealed that dark and emotional roles appealed to her the most.
