10 'Dance Moms' Stars Who Shared Their Experience With Abby Lee Miller: JoJo Siwa, Maddie Ziegler and More

In May 2020, Dance Moms alum Brooke Hyland shaded Abby Lee Miller in a since-deleted TikTok video. In the clip, Hyland said her Facebook account informed her about a new friend suggestion before zooming into her screen and showing that the user was the dance teacher.

Hyland shook her head before ending the recording.

She previously claimed that her mom and Miller had a physical altercation, leading to her family's exit from the show.

"We also dealt with ... our dance teacher since we were 2. She got worse as like, the show went on," Hyland said in 2015.

Chloe Lukasiak, who became the choreographer's constant target on Dance Moms, accused Miller of making fun of her medical condition. She was diagnosed with silent sinus syndrome, which made one of her eyes appear smaller than the other one.

"Even an adult in my life made fun of [my eye] not knowing or caring what was really going on, or not even bothering to ask," she said.

Lukasiak detailed her experience with Miller in another YouTube video, saying the comments she received were never included in the show's episodes.

"My dance teacher decided to start yelling at my mom about me. ... I just happened to be listening and I heard everything she said, and they didn't show it on Dance Moms. ... She made fun of me," she continued.

Gianna Martello disclosed what she saw "behind the scenes" of the series.

"Abby is so used to being her own boss at the studio that when we have a production team telling us what we have to do, she kind of pushes back on that. That's where it all started. But, it's understandable. I can see where she's coming from," she told Dance Dish.

Of all the Dance Moms alums, JoJo Siwa remains one of the few stars still on good terms with Miller.

On April 25, the 20-year-old musician attended the red carpet premiere of Dance Moms: The Reunion, where she spoke to People regarding her relationship with Miller.

"Abby, honestly, my relationship is great," said Siwa. "I talk to her on a weekly basis. Great human in my life."

In an exclusive interview with People in September 2023, Kalani Hilliker talked about the trauma she experienced during her time on Dance Moms.

"I didn't talk to Abby for a long time [after the show ended]," she disclosed. "But she recently just reached out to me and asked me to be on her podcast. Obviously I don't agree with everything she's done to other people, but we all make mistakes. So I thought, 'Why not see if it rekindles?'"

Amid Miller's controversies, Hilliker expressed gratitude to her former dance coach.

While Kendall Vertes reportedly has nothing but respect for Miller. On the "Off-Schedule" podcast, she revealed the emotional abuse she suffered while on the show.

"We were 8, 9 years old and she would tell us we were fat, washed up, ugly, shouldn't be here, we're too privileged, we're not swift ... she would just say things that little kids didn't even know how to comprehend," said Vertes.

seemingly blasted Miller when she participated in the "Bulletproof" trend on TikTok in August 2020.

"Think you can hurt my feelings? I was on Dance Moms," she captioned her post, referencing her prior experiences.

Mackenzie's sibling, Maddie Ziegler, has the same feeling toward Miller.

In June 2018, she told Us Weekly she was no longer in contact with Miller. She also spoke with Cosmopolitan to share why she and her sister left the show.

"My dance teacher taught that if you don't get the trophy, if you don't get the crown, you are less than, which is the worst way to train a kid," she told Cosmopolitan. "It carries into other life lessons. We also weren't allowed to watch our competitors or be friends with them. I've had to unlearn a lot of those things."

Maddie left the show after six seasons due to the "toxic" environment in the show.

"[Abby] trained me, she helped me, but also, I knew I would be OK without her," she went on.

Nia Sioux has no plans to reconcile with Miller.

"Never say never, but I've pretty much distanced myself for a while," she told Us Weekly.

In October 2014, Paige Hyland filed a lawsuit in which she claimed she suffered emotional abuse during her time at the Abby Lee – Dance Company. She alleged that Miller pinched her students until they bled.

"Miller even tossed a chair during a confrontation with Paige ... causing Paige to run from the room terrified as she feared she would be physically injured by Miller," part of the filing read.

The lawsuit was dismissed in July 2015.