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For six dramatic seasons of Dance Moms, fans have gotten to know a little bit about Abby Lee Miller-the shows tough choreographer whos never shied away from cracking the whip when it comes to her dancers and their mothers. What you might not know, however, is that Abby is the daughter of a dance mom herself.
An only child, Abby was born to George Miller and Maryen Lorrain Miller. Her mom, a dancer, 50-year certified member of Dance Masters of America, and dance-studio owner, inspired Abbys love of the arts but never pushed [Abby] into the spotlight, according to the Abby Lee Dance Company . But Abby caught the bug anyway after watching her mom open several dance studios in Miami Beach, Florida, and Pittsburgh. Abby eventually took over the Pittsburgh location and renamed it Reign Dance Productions in 1984. That's the studio where most Dance Moms seasons have been filmed.
Abbys father handled the business-side of her studio. She opened up about how great everything was when her father was around, when she sat down with a Monica The Medium on season six of her hit show. Miller passed away in 2000 on Fathers Day from an undetected brain tumor. Abbys mom died 14 years later from colon cancer.
Abby filmed Dance Moms from 2011 to 2016, and signed three other deals with Lifetime for three spinoff shows: Dance Moms: Miami, Abbys Ultimate Dance Competition, and Abbys Studio Rescue. She chose to leave the franchise following season six of Dance Moms after years of feeling manipulated, disrespected and used, by the crew-a group she described as: men who never took a dance lesson in their lives and treat women like dirt, according to Deadline .
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Her departure from the reality show coincided with Abby's indictment and eventual charge for bankruptcy fraud for hiding a $775,000 of her earnings and having friends travel with large sums of money on her behalf. She was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
After her release, doctors diagnosed Abby with a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma called Burkitt lymphoma . Abbys yearlong treatments included spinal surgeries, 10 rounds of chemotherapy, and physical therapy to improve her mobility. Today, shes cancer-free, wheelchair-bound, and headed back to Lifetime for the return of Dance Moms: Resurrection for season eight which premieres tonight on Lifetime.