The sixth season of the controversial reality show Dance Moms is set to air in January next year, but one of the most featured cast members may not be as involved as in previous seasons.
13-year-old Maddie Ziegler is one of the most popular people on the show and now it looks like she is done with it. Multiple sources have confirmed to Us Weekly that Ziegler will be leaving the show after the sixth season. Although the young dancer will appear on Dance Moms during the newest season, it is questionable how often she will be on it. Because of her busy schedule, she has missed several of the filmed competitions, which has been noticed by many fans of the show.
Maddie Ziegler became known outside of Dance Moms when the Australian singer Sia contacted her and asked her to be in the music video for her hit Chandelier. Ziegler also appeared in Sia’s following videos for Elastic Heart and Big Girls Cry. She has then performed on The Ellen Show, Dancing With The Stars and at the Grammy Awards. Ziegler has also guest-starred on the popular Disney Channel show Austin & Ally.
Because of her success in Hollywood, Ziegler has decided to focus on her acting and dancing career outside of Dance Moms. Ziegler has been cast as the lead role in Sister which is a film written and directed by Sia. She also just finished filming The Book of Henry in which she plays Christina. The movie is also starring actors such as Naomi Watts, Sarah Silverman and Dean Norris.
Maddie Ziegler was one of the only original cast members left on the show. She, her sister Mackenzie Ziegler, and fellow dancer Nia Sioux Frazier are the only members of the original dance team left on the show. Former students Chloe Lukasiak and Brooke and Paige Hyland have all left the show because of their strict dance coach, Abby Lee Miller, and her abusive teaching methods. Other cast members have had difficulty leaving the show due to strict contracts with the network Lifetime where the show airs.
Abby Lee Miller’s future is not looking so bright either. Not only is she losing one of her star students, but she may have to spend some time behind bars. On October 14, Miller was faced with a 20-count indictment that consists of charges such as bankruptcy fraud, concealment of bankruptcy assets, and false bankruptcy declarations. According to the US attorney’s office the dance studio owner has concealed income of about $755,492.85 in total. So far, Miller has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial, but if she is found guilty by a jury she could face up to five years in jail and a fine of $250,000 of each of the 20 count in the indictment.
This is not the first time Abby Lee Miller has faced a lawsuit. Her two former students Brooke and Paige Hyland filed a lawsuit against Miller alongside their mother, Kelly Hyland. The three sued Miller for abuse and emotional distress. The two lawsuits were settled, but Hyland is still suing the Dance Moms creators Collins Avenue Entertainment for breach of contract.
The sixth season of Dance Moms is rumoured to only consist of 18 episodes. Previous seasons have had over 30 episodes each season, except the first. With Maddie Ziegler’s departure and Abby Lee Miller’s legal issues it certainly looks like the show is coming to an end.
The newest season of Dance Moms premieres on January 5, 2016 on Lifetime.
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Watch Maddie Ziegler’s latest performance of Sia’s newest song Alive on The Ellen Show down below!