NEWSAbby Lee Miller Confesses She Was 'Too Harsh' on Kids 'Who Didn't Have Talent' While on 'Dance Moms'
May 1 2024, Published 12:49 p.m. ET
Abby Lee Miller is finally addressing her teaching etiquette in IMPACT x Nightline’s episode, which focuses on Dance Moms, years after the series ended.
While sitting down with ABC News’ Juju Chang, she was asked whether she'd take back her comments she made on the show, to which she replied, "Absolutely. Yes, I would."
Abby Lee Miller is known for her controversial teaching style.
“No matter how harsh I was on the kid, they weren’t gonna get it,” the TV personality, 58, continued. “They just didn’t have the talent.”
“You’re saying you regret it not because you hurt the kids’ feelings, but because it was pointless,” the reporter, 58, asked.
The star does not appear on the upcoming 'Dance Moms' reunion.
Miller didn't want to "hurt anyone's feelings," but her violent outbursts were only because she wanted them to get better "and to be the best that they can be."
Miller became a polarizing figure on the Lifetime reality show, and with the Dance Moms reunion dropping on Wednesday, May 1, more of the stars have come forward about their experiences with her.
Chloe Lukasiak told Life & Style the work ethic only helped her in her career, but Miller's intense teaching methods were "unnecessary" but she believes that “some sort of pushing and encouraging is vital in shaping a person” in a competitive setting.
“Honestly, I don’t like to live with regrets. I think that everything happens for a reason,” she shared. “And so I think the experiences I had on the show built me to be very thick skinned and to work hard and to have discipline.”
JoJo Siwa still talks to Abby Lee Miller.
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Meanwhile, Maddie Ziegler slammed Miller, saying the show's "toxic environment" was hard to deal with.
"I was like, 'This is not for me. I can't do this.' I haven't spoken to her since. I feel at peace,” Ziegler, 21, said.
However, JoJo Siwa feels differently, as she is super close with Miller.
"Abby, honestly, my relationship is great," Siwa told People. "I talk to her on a weekly basis. Great human in my life."
JoJo Siwa called Abby Lee Miller a 'great person.'
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On the April 10 episode of Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast, the 20-year-old also defended Miller.
"I saw what she was like on TV and I somehow as a kid could always see the bigger picture," she explained.
"The thing is, is I was there to make a TV show. She was there to make a TV show. And that is how dance teachers are," she continued. “And Dance Moms really just put that on display."
