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Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is set to premiere on Netflix on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. The trailer for the docuseries was released on May 9, 2024, and garnered a lot of attention due to the allegations made against it. The docuseries focuses on the cult-like operation of the talent management company 7M Films, which works with TikTok dance influencers.
However, several former dancers from the company have made serious accusations and filed lawsuits against 7M, with some calling it a "cult." Despite this, according to the latest reports the church is still functioning as of this writing. That being said, the situation can change swiftly as the docuseries is about to air in just a few days.
Read more: Is Netflix's Dancing for the Devil based on true events? Explained
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What's going on with the 7M TikTok cult?
The company behind the 7M TikTok cult was founded by Robert Shinn in 2021. He was also the founder and pastor of the California-based church, Shekinah Church, since 1994. Shinn, who is at the center of the investigation, allegedly preaches a cult-like dogma whose belief centers around preparation for the end times.
The Daily Beast reported in March 2022 that the church "seems to have no set service times," social media accounts, or even a "physical church venue.
"(The church) seems to have no set service times, no social media accounts, and no physical church venue, just a Santa Ana office space that also houses 7M Films,” the report stated.
In 2021, Shinn started the talent management company 7M Films and hired several popular TikTok dance influencers, including Miranda Wilking. These influencers were hired to leverage their popularity and fame. The dance videos uploaded by these members would rake in thousands to millions of views on TikTok.
Over the last few years, 7M Films has been accused of alienation, brainwashing, and mismanagement of their finances by former dancers of the company. In 2009, Lydia Chung, a former member of the Shekinah Church, accused the church and Shinn of multiple things, including "oppressions and intimidating tactics." However, the judge ruled in Shinn’s favor.
Years later, in March 2023, three former clients, Kylie Douglas, Aubry Fisher-Geen, and Kevin "Konkrete" Davis, joined an ongoing lawsuit against Shinn. The lawsuit was filed by four other complainants.
Kylie Douglas was a client of the company from 2020 to 2022 and spoke to Rolling Stone Magazine about the lawsuit.
"Even though we were only in there for two years, it’s still two years of our life that we spent battling to give full attention to [Shinn] and his church," she said.
Kylie continued:
"We just no longer want him to be able to do that to anyone: the brainwashing, the manipulating, running people down — giving their time, giving their effort, giving their money, giving all they got for something that is a false hope.”
Everything to know about the Netflix docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult
Netflix's official synopsis for the Dancing with the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult states:
"After TikTok dancers join a management company and its associated church, unsettling details about the founder and their dark realities come to light."
The Netflix docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult aims to uncover the secret practices of the management company 7M Films and Shekinah Church. Several former subjects of the 7M TikTok cult narrate their experiences including being under Shinn's control and being forced to cut off all communication with one's loved ones.
Dancing with the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is directed by Derek Doneen, who spoke about the way people get "sucked into cult-like groups."
“I think audiences will be surprised by how easily regular people can get sucked into cult-like groups and how devastating the impact can be on families, friends, and communities. I’m in awe of the families who let us in as they worked tirelessly to rescue their loved ones,” the director said.
Understanding the story of Miranda Wilking
A major focus of the docuseries is to showcase the story of Miranda Wilking, a current member of 7M Films. Miranda married fellow dancer and 7M Films alum, James 'BDAsh' Derrick and now goes by Miranda Derrick.
However, she drew national attention in 2022 when her parents, Kelly and Dean, and her sister Melanie posted a video on Instagram. In the tearful video, they alleged that Miranda had stopped communicating with them after joining 7M Films.
Miranda's sister Melanie is also a dancer, but she wasn't a part of the company.
“Miranda is a part of a religious group, and she’s not allowed to speak to us,” Melanie said.
However, Miranda responded to the family's plea with her own video, seemingly refuting her family's claims that she was being brainwashed and manipulated by 7M Films.
The docuseries will showcase Miranda's family agonizing over her absence from their lives. Although Miranda and her husband have denied claims of being in a cult, the docuseries will include many former dancers speaking in support of the claims made by her family.
Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult will break down all aspects of this tangled wed in a 3-part series, all of which will be available together on May 29, 2024.
