Dance Moms: 3 most scandalous incidents from the show

Dance Moms is an American reality TV show broadcast by Lifetime. The show aired for the first time on July 13, 2011. The show featured Abby Miller, the dance coach famous for being strict and competitive, along with the children and their mother who were looking forward to a career in the dancing industry. The children were Abby Lee Dance Company students and traveled around the country to participate in dance competitions.

The show ran for almost 8 years, from 2011 to 2019, and produced 8 seasons. However, the show was not revived for the ninth season due to the controversies that followed the showrunner, Abby Miller. She was often criticized for being too harsh on students and creating an atmosphere of negative competition, while her equation with mothers faltered too.

The show was recently resurrected with a spin-off, Dance Moms: A New Era, on a different platform Hulu, with a new coach Gloria Hampton from Studio Bleu. The new show aired on August 7, 2024, on Hulu.

The article discusses three such scandalous moments that eventually led to the show's downfall.

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Three scandals from the Dance Moms franchise

Abby Miller and Kelly Hyland's physical brawl in Season 4

Abby Miller has been accused of playing the favoritism card often in the show Dance Moms. During season 4, episode 7 Abby Miller got into a physical altercation with Kelly Hyland in New York, where they went for a competition. Paige Hyland, Kelly's daughter was paired with Chloe to perform a duet.

The kids were very excited but at the end moment, Abby added one more pair on the list, Kalani and Maddie, and squashed the former duo's winning chances. It made Christi Lukasiak, mother of Chloe and Kelly Hyland agitated.

In the dressing room, the conversation between Abby and Kelly heated up to the point, where Kelly slapped Abby and it turned into a physical bicker. Abby immediately called the police and Kelly was even arrested for the charges, only to be released later.

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Abby Miller's scandalous legal situations

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In 2017, ABC News posted an article on May 9, citing that Abby Miller received a sentence of a year and a half in prison, following her bankruptcy fraud. The report read:

"Former "Dance Moms" star Abby Lee Miller has been sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud and for bringing $120,000 worth of Australian currency into the country without reporting it."

Abby, in 2015, had an investigation going on regarding bankruptcy fraud to which she pleaded guilty in June 2016. The show was going through a rough patch already as the Hylands left the show, and Chloe also did not return for season 5, as she was bodyshamed by Miller, as reported by Cheatsheet on April 26, 2020.

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Abby Miller got called out for her racist comments and behavior

Abby Miller was infamous for her unconventional methods, and strict nature. As a coach, she often got into fights with the mothers and often presented her views rather harshly as the cast members have revealed. Camille Bridges joined the Dance Moms in season 7 along with her daughter Camryn. Camille has been vocal about Abby's alleged racist treatment toward her daughter.

In an article posted by E! News on June 4, 2020, Dance Moms stars Adriana Smith and Camille spoke about Abby's racist behavior towards their daughters. Abby Miller later took to her Instagram on June 5, 2020, taking responsibility for her behavior and apologized. The post read:

"I realize that racism can come not just from hate, but also from ignorance. No matter the cause, it is harmful, and is my fault. While I cannot change the past or remove the harm I have done, I promise to educate myself, learn, grow, and do better. While I hope to one day earn your forgiveness, I recognize that words alone are not enough. I understand it takes time and genuine change."

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All 10 episodes of Dance Moms: A New Era are available on Hulu to watch.