Following the news Abby Lee Miller was quitting Dance Moms after six years on the show, the hit Lifetime reality series has tapped Dancing With the Stars alum Cheryl Burke as her replacement.
Abby had plenty to say about the news, though she seems to be genuinely happy for Cheryl.
“I think that’s great,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I don’t think she’s replacing me, I think it’s going to be a different vibe.”
She also suggested Cheryl‘s experience will be different. “I bet you she’s treated differently,” she explained. “I bet you the budget is different, and I bet you she is never driving her car, with her gas, looking for fabric on her feet.”
Abby also got deeply emotional on the interview, saying: “I quit because I don’t want to fight for a great idea, I don’t want to fight for better music, I don’t want to fight for a bigger costume budget.”
Dance Moms producers have a different take on Abbyleaving the show.
A source told Entertainment Tonight that Abby “bolted” from filming “three or four episodes recently,” and asked for a number of demands that producers weren’t ready to comply with. Abby told a different story about why she exited.
Click inside to see who’s replacing Abby Lee Miller on Dance Moms… More Here! »
In a straightforward message on Instagram, Abby — the woman behind ALDC aka the Abby Lee Dance Company — says she will “no longer take part in Dance Moms.”
Abby Lee explains that she feels disrespected and manipulated by the Lifetime show’s producers.
The 15-year-old dancer, who left the show in season four, felt like it was the right time to make an appearance.
“My mom and I had been talking one night and she said that the girls were coming back to Pittsburgh and it might be the last competition,” Chloe told Bustle.com. “I teared up because that was my childhood. Growing up, it was all I knew. I got a little sad about it and then I thought, ‘What if I came back for the finale? How funny would that be?’”
“My mom respected my decision because when we did the show, it was always something that we agreed on, including when it was time to leave,” Chloe said. “I miss the relationship that we used to have just because for the two years I’ve been off doing my own thing and they’ve been still on the show, so we’ve just kind of grown apart…It was really nice to see them again and reconnect.”
She added, “I feel like I’ve grown up a lot since leaving the show and I’ve gained my own voice.”
In the first sneak peek for the finale episode, Chloe gets some advice from her mom Christi about returning.
“Anytime I think about Chloe competing, it makes me so uncomfortable,” Christi says, “It was such a dark time.”
Chloe tells her mom after the advice, “Obviously, I’d love to go see the competition this weekend, but I don’t want to see Abby or Gianna. We really didn’t leave on good terms.”
The season seven finale will air Tuesday, February 21st on Lifetime.
Kendall Vertes is getting real about the dance world in her newest interview with Bello mag.
“I really thought this would be our last season of Dance Moms,” the star shared. “They are bringing in all kinds of new kids, some young and some older.”
Kendall adds that the dancing this season gets better and better: “The best part about this season is the dancing. We do some amazing group dances with great themes. We are all teenagers now and we always ask for mature themes and choreography. I think the fans are going to love the dances.”
When asked about her biggest inspirations in the dance world, former co-star Maddie Ziegler was on the tip of her tongue.
“I am [also] very proud of my friend Maddie, she has done so many great things with her dancing,” she shared, before adding another choreographer who we all love: Travis Wall.
“When I was a little girl I used to take workshops from him. I have always loved him as a performer and a choreographer,” she shared.
A recent pic posted by instructor Abby Lee Miller shows the five elite girls — Kendall, Nia, Brynn, Camryn Bridges and Kalani Hilliker — could they all be returning? We hope so!
Even though, Kalani‘s recent tweet has us questioning if she actually will be back at all.
There’s no premiere date for season 8 at the moment, however the season 7 finale is coming on February 21st.
