If you haven’t followed Dance Moms news lately, you might be curious as to why Abby Lee Miller was axed and replaced on the show that made her famous.
There’s a new Dance Moms on the way. With a new coach and new dancers, this is no revival — it’s a reboot.
And Abby Lee Miller will have no part in it.
The infamously ill-behaved former reality star could be very entertaining. She could also be very off-putting. All the best reailty stars are both.
So, why did the show replace her?
The ‘Dance Moms’ Reboot: The Summary
As we previously reported, Hulu is rolling out Dance Moms: A New Era.
The show premieres on August 7, featuring a brand new studio and entirely new cast.
Dance coach Glo Hampton and her team at Studio Bleu will be leading this exciting reboot.
As you can see from the first trailer, the kids are just as fierce as the OGs, and the SAME. “I can replace anyone at anytime,” Glo threatens less than 10 seconds into the preview.
Sound familiar? The words were practically taken out of Abbey Lee’s mouth! Speaking of which…
Why did ‘Dance Moms’ replace Abby Lee Miller?
That question is so complex and multifaceted that we cannot, unfortunately, answer it without explaining her history.
Memorably, in 2017, Miller reported to prison to begin serving out her one-year-and-one-day sentence for fraud. For the record, she has vehemently maintained her innocence.
Dance Moms continued while Miller was behind bars, with Laurieann Gibson replacing the notorious bully.
What disease does Abby Lee Miller have?
In March of 2018, just 8 months after reporting to prison, Abby Lee Miller left prison and began living in a halfway house. She received early release for good behavior behind bars.
However, she soon developed a rapidly creeping paralysis. Her doctors had to do an exploratory surgery that involved shaving her spine in order to identify and combat what they initially assumed to be an infection.
It was not, however, an infection. It was a form of cancer known as Burkitt lymphoma. This cancer was unexpected, as it normally afflicts children in Africa — not adults in California.
Ultimately, this meant that Abby Lee Miller replaced prison with a hospital. She was in and out of doctor’s offices, undergoing surgery and intense anti-cancer therapies.
In September of 2018, her lymphoma went into remission. However, she had a long road to recovery ahead of her.
Miller began relearning how to walk. In the years since, she has relied upon a power wheelchair — including, famously, during her (somewhat brief) return to Dance Moms.
Did Abby Lee Miller get canceled?
In June of 2020, Abby Lee Miller responded to the famous police murders of three Black Americans — George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. During that spring and summer’s historic protests, she posted a simple black square, as many celebrities did (particularly those who felt that they did not have helpful commentary).
However, this ignited a firestorm from Dance Moms alums — former dancers, their parents, and even people who worked on the show. They shared vicious tales of racism that they allegedly experienced at the hands of Abby Lee Miller.
Though Miller did offer an apology, some things are beyond the power of “sorry.” Lifetime fired Miller.
She wasn’t at the ‘Dance Moms’ reunion
As we reported in the spring of 2024, Abby Lee Miller did not receive a Dance Moms reunion invitation.
The reasons were more or less all of the above. Years of inexcusable treatment of children and bizarre behavior may have entertained some audiences for years, but it was enough. And then with racism on top of that, the franchise was ready to wash its hands of her.
For the same reason, the reboot has replaced Abby Lee Miller with someone new.
Who is Glo Hampton?
Glo Hampton, the new coach for Dance Moms: A New Era, actually appeared on Season 3 of Dance Moms. She was on camera with her daughter, Kaeli. And her studio bested Miller’s during Season 4.
According to what Hampton tells People, she’s been teaching students for 40 years. She has ambitions, but doesn’t plan to motivate her students with trauma and verbal abuse. Other than acknowledging what sort of person Abby Lee Miller is, she didn’t throw her under the bus — giving her a lot of credit for past work.
There are many reasons for which Abby Lee Miller was replaced. Now, we’ll find out how well Glo Hampton fills her dance shoes.
