Abby Lee Miller, 56, is “heartbroken” over Maddie Ziegler‘s recent comments about their strained relationship, according to TMZ. “Spending hours, days, weeks and years together in a crazy reality TV show environment, we became like family,” Abby Lee told the outlet about her former bond with the 19-year-old. Abby Lee was Maddie’s coach on Dance Moms for years, but they stopped speaking after Maddie quit the Lifetime reality series in 2016.
Maddie just did an interview with Cosmopolitan and discussed her relationship with her former coach, recalling how “distraught” Abby Lee was when she quit the show. “She trained me, she helped me, but also, I knew I would be okay without her and I was sick of being in a toxic environment,” Maddie explained. “I was like, ‘This is not for me. I can’t do this.’ I haven’t spoken to her since. I feel at peace.”
The talented dancer and actress also revealed that she tried leaving the show for three seasons, but couldn’t due to her contract. “Don’t get me wrong—there’s drama regardless if there are cameras or not! But it was heightened,” Maddie said of her experience on Dance Moms. “I started to feel like, ‘It’s so peaceful outside of this world. I can’t be in this.’ ”
Since quitting Dance Moms, Maddie has modeled, authored a dance-themed trilogy of books, and acted in films like Sia’s directorial debut Music and Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story. Her career has truly boomed and there’s only more great things to come from her.
Abby Lee, meanwhile, has faced some serious issues with her health in the past couple of years. She’s currently bound to a wheelchair after undergoing spinal surgery in April 2018. Abby Lee also had Burkitt lymphoma — a rare form of cancer. Thankfully, her cancer’s gone into remission.
