Maddie Ziegler Young to Now: Transformation From 'Dance Moms'

From reality star to A-list influencer! Maddie Ziegler has grown into a gorgeous young woman since appearing on Dance Moms when she was just 8 years old. The teen dazzled as the top student in Abby Lee Miller’s Pennsylvania dance studio, and her star power has continued rising.

From starring in her “godmother” Sia’s “Chandelier” music video in 2014 to amassing over 13 million social media followers, Maddie has been doing a great job navigating her career at such a young age.

She exited Dance Moms for good in 2016 and admitted it was a “really stressful time” in her life. From competitions to cast fights, the turmoil wasn’t worth it anymore.

“I just didn’t want to deal with all of the drama anymore. I’m happy I’ve moved on. I get to step out and do my own thing and be myself,” she told Seventeen in 2017. Maddie exclusively told Life & Style last year that she is “not in contact” with her former coach anymore.

The Callback author is still dancing but working on her own terms. She’s set to appear in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story, her memoir, The Maddie Diaries, is a New York Times best seller, and she is involved in multiple collaborations with brands like Fabletics and Morphe. However, she’s determined to stay grounded.

“I never want to let fame get to my head,” she expressed to Marie Claire in September 2019. “It’s such an ugly thing … I know that to my audience, I am considered famous, but I just can’t see that for myself.”

Keeping her life low-key now includes her dating life. “I had a public relationship for two years, and I am never, ever going to make any relationship public as much as I did,” she admitted about her former relationship with Australian influencer Jack Kelly, whom she split from in August 2018. “I learned my lesson. On Instagram, people have assumed certain people that I am dating, but I’m just like, give it a rest.”

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Besides her love life, Maddie started posting about her now ex-boyfriend, Eddie Benjamin, in March 2020. The duo embarked on a sweet young love but decided to go their separate ways in February 2022.

Maddie is doing amazing these days and has grown into a great role model.

Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of Maddie Ziegler’s transformation over the years.