Maddie Ziegler, the former star of Dance Moms, has had her cellphone hacked, and police in Los Angeles are investigating.
According to TMZ, the 15-year-old has been living a nightmare for the past five months, with an unknown person hacking her phone. The torment allegedly began back in September and has continued since, with the hacker claiming that he or she has gotten a hold of pictures and messages on the teen’s phone.
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Although the hacker hasn’t yet made any demands, nor have they released any of the pictures or messages they allegedly have, Ziegler and her family have gone to police to report the incident. The Los Angeles Police Department is now looking into the case.
Ziegler first rose to fame on the Lifetime original series, Dance Moms, which first premiered in 2011. The show, which has since been cancelled, followed dance students at Abby Lee Miller’s dance studio. Ziegler was a prominent personality on the series, consistently winning competitions and rising to lead her pack of fellow dancers.
Ziegler has since become singer Sia’s mini-me, appearing in multiple music videos for the Australian singer-songwriter and even appearing on the red carpet of several award shows with her.
During a TV special, Dance Moms: Abby Lee Tells All, that aired on Lifetime in July, Ziegler’s former dance teacher Miller opened up about her former pupil’s sudden stardom and their relationship.
“I talk to the media, I might not pick up the phone and call her, but I tell everybody else! 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,” she said during the segment.
“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 added. “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.”
