Abby Lee Miller is speaking out about the success of her former pupil, Maddie Ziegler. The Dance Moms star says that she wanted to be a part of Ziegler’s journey to fame after appearing on the Lifetime show.
During a TV special titled Dance Moms: Abby Lee Tells All, which aired on Lifetime on Tuesday night, Miller explained that she wasn’t “sad” about Ziegler’s fame. However, the 50-year-old dance instructor did mention that she “absolutely” felt like a mother figure to the young star.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Up Next: Watch Abby Lee Miller’s Final Moments Before Heading to Jail
When asked if she was disappointed, Miller said, “Absolutely. ‘Cause that’s not the kid I raised.”
During the emotional sit-down, Miller reacted to the fact that Ziegler did not mention her in her newly-released memoir. The two have severed ties, but Ziegler’s career continues to blossom as she has become pop superstar Sia’s protégé.
“I talk to the media, I might not pick up the phone and call her, but I tell everybody else!” Miller said. “I tell my friends, ‘She’s adorable, she’s wonderful! It’s a great film!’ I look at what she has done, and the other jobs and the other opportunities besides Dance Moms, they all involve dancing, they’re all about dance, they’re all judging dance, dancing, performing, something!”
Miller did mention that she feels partially responsible for Ziegler’s success.
More: Abby Lee Miller Admits She’s ‘Petrified’ of How Inmates Will Treat Her in Prison
“I don’t think, had she not been at my studio, she would be where she is today. And I can confidently say that,” she said. “I’m not gonna say that I ‘made’ anybody. I didn’t make her—her mom and dad created her, but I certainly added my two cents in.”
In regards to the future, Miller says that she has one hope for Ziegler.
“I hope that she doesn’t forget the good times cause there were a lot more good times than bad times,” she said.
Earlier this month, Miller turned herself in for her 366-day prison sentence at the FCI Victorville facility in Victorville, California.
Most Viewed
-
(Photo by Ben Curtis – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images) -
US singer Miley Cyrus attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2025. (Photo by Angeka Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) -
Antique TV set with color bars, on black background. 3D rendering -
NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images) -
Pictured: (l-r) Josh McDermitt, Bryan Greenberg, Lex Scott Davis, Stephen Amell — (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
