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‘Dance Moms’ Star Abby Lee Miller Apologizes After Cast Accuses Her of Racist Behavior
Making amends. Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller is apologizing for her past racist behavior to student Kamryn Smith, mom Adriana Smith and “those in the black community” following her former costar’s allegations. “I genuinely understand and deeply regret how my words have affected and hurt those around me in the past,” she wrote. “To Kamryn, Adriana, and anyone else I’ve hurt, I am truly sorry.”
Abby, 53, revealed she realized “racism can come not just from hate, but also from ignorance.” After reflecting on Adriana’s claims, she knew it was time to make amends. “No matter the cause, [my behavior] is harmful, and it is my fault. While I cannot change the past or remove the harm I have done, I promise to educate myself, learn, grow and do better,” she continued. “While I hope to one day earn your forgiveness, I recognize that words alone are not enough. I understand it takes time and genuine change.”
— Abby Lee Miller (@Abby_Lee_Miller) June 4, 2020
The statement was posted on social media two days after Adriana took to Instagram to expose the dance coach as a “closet racist.” She shared one incident in which Abby said Kamryn and her mom were only on the Lifetime show because Dance Moms “needed a sprinkle of color.” Eventually, the mother-daughter duo decided they wouldn’t be staying on after they finished their first season.
“As tears [stream] down my face, I look over at my 7-year-old and back at the camera and say, ‘This is my EVERYDAY life as a black woman,’” Adriana recounted. “This is nothing new to me. But what I’m not going to have happen is have this racist person have any part of my daughter’s life. … At that moment, I knew that it was more important for me to show my daughter that she had to stand up for what’s right and not care about anything else.”
In an email with E! News, costar Camille Bridges also shared her own story about how Abby treated daughter Camryn Bridges. “[She] tried to spin Camryn as being the poor one and there on scholarship. I shut that down immediately,” she claimed. “She loves appropriating our culture and never appreciating it. She did not give black choreographers on the show acknowledgment of their work. She continuously put Camryn in afros. … The environment was extremely hostile with her there.”
Hopefully now that Abby has apologized, she will continue to confront her bad behavior. In the meantime, fans are still asking for her to personally say sorry to other black cast members, including Nia Sioux and mom Holly Frazier.
