Cliff Notes – The ‘awful but addictive’ controversial show behind JoJo Siwa’s fame
- JoJo Siwa rose to fame on the reality show Dance Moms, which aired from 2011 to 2019, showcasing the intense training and competition among young dancers under the strict guidance of Abby Lee Miller.
- The show faced significant backlash for its portrayal of child exploitation, harsh teaching methods, and controversial content, leading to accusations of emotional and physical abuse against its coach and producers.
The ‘awful but addictive’ controversial show behind JoJo Siwa’s fame
JoJo Siwa was catapulted to fame in this controversial reality tv show – and no, we don’t mean Celebrity Big Brother.
JoJo Siwa has won the nation’s hearts since entering the Celebrity Big Brother house.
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, with the Dancing With The Stars contestant facing homophobic language from Mickey Rourke and having her budding friendship with Chris Hughes scrutinised.
JoJo’s bubbly nature and honesty exploring her gender has endeared viewers over a decade since she made her TV debut.
The star is arguably best known for her gigantic bows and dancefloor prowess on Lifetime reality show Dance Moms, which followed the lives of young girls training at a prestigious academy.
But what happened to the controversial cancelled show? We look at JoJo’s Dance Moms debut, the various scandals that hit the show, and where it went.
When did JoJo Siwa join Dance Moms?
Dance Moms began airing in 2011, with JoJo joining the show in 2014 alongside her mum Jessalynn Siwa, a professional dance instructor from Iowa.
JoJo joined the cast of Dance Moms in 2014.
The show followed the training and careers of young children under the tutelage of famed instructor Abby Lee Miller, owner of the Abby Lee Dance Company.
As well as their careers in dance and show business, the programme also explored the relationships between the dancers, their mothers, and with Abby herself.
JoJo competed on the second season of Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, produced by Abby, but was eliminated in week nine.
Not long after, she made her grand debut on the fourth season of Dance Moms when she was just 11 years old, replacing Chloe Lukasiak.
JoJo left briefly in the sixth season of the show in 2016 when she secured a deal with Nickelodeon, before returning in 2019 to guest star in the episode Making a Splash in Pittsburgh.
Episodes each week showed Abby’s extremely strict nature, using harsh criticism to motivate the girls.
Coach Abby Lee Miller was notoriously harsh in her feedback to the children.
She even used a pyramid featuring the girls’ individual headshots to rank them based on their performance, giving feedback each week based on their performance, attitude, effort, and behaviour.
In season five, Abby relocated the team Los Angeles, shifting the show’s focus from their preparation for various dance titles to readying the youngsters for their careers in acting and the music business.
Why was Dance Moms controversial?
Dance Moms faced various controversies over the years, from accusations of abuse to Abby’s legal issues.
Behind the glitz and glamour of Dance Moms, many of the parents and Abby herself faced criticism for ‘exploiting’ the children for fame.
The Miami Student described the show as ‘borderline child abuse’, while
‘It is not acceptable to exploit young girls for money, while watching them getting torn down. It has got to stop,’ The Odyssey Online wrote in a 2016 piece.
The costumes and risque routines of Dance Moms were often met with backlash.
The Guardian branded Dance Moms ‘awful but addictive’ in a review, adding: ‘It makes Keeping Up With The Kardashians look like Keeping Bees With The Dimblebys.’
Risque costumes on the show were often criticised, but season two episode Topless Showgirls when a step too far as it showed the young performers in flesh-tones bra tops and tights to make them appear nude.
After severe backlash, Lifetime confirmed the episode had been pulled.
Season one, episode two, which featured the notoriously risque ‘Electricity dance’, opened up a conversation among viewers about what choreography is too mature for little girls.
Abby was also branded toxic and abusive for her teaching methods on the show, with episodes showing her viciously shaming her students for their appearance, weight, and sometimes their intelligence.
She was accused of emotional and physical abuse by various children who featured in the show, with the Hyland family including mother Kelly and daughters Brooke and Paige suing Abby in 2013 for damages, assault, and emotional distress.
Abby has been accused of abusive behaviour across the show (Picture: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
Their lawsuit was eventually thrown out by the courts, and in 2014 Kelly was arrested on charges of assaulting Abby during a backstage dispute during a New York dance competition.
Maddie Ziegler, one of the biggest stars to come from Dance Moms, criticised Abby on the High Low with Emrata podcast saying her teaching style impacted her terribly.
‘I’ve blocked out so much of my childhood that I actually don’t know what my life was like, even just before working,’ she said.
‘I was such a perfectionist and I was so hard on myself, and now I’m trying to unlearn all those traits, and it’s an ongoing battle.’
On October 13, 2015, Abby was indicted in Pittsburgh, charged with concealing $755,000 (£569,145) for her performances on Dance Moms between 2012 and 2013.
She was charged with bank bankruptcy fraud, concealment of bankruptcy assets and false bankruptcy declarations, pleading guilty to the charges.
The dance coach was sentenced to a year in prison accused of hiding her earnings
Abby was sentenced to one year and a day in prison, taking a break from Dance Moms to serve her sentence.
In 2020, Abby was at the centre of controversy once more after sharing a black square on her Instagram page on Blackout Tuesday, highlighting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dance Moms season eight’s Adriana Smith, mother of Kamryn, then accused Abby of racism in a statement shared on her Instagram page.
‘A statement from her that sticks in my mind to this day during my time on DMS8 is “I know you grew up in the HOOD with only a box of 8 crayons, but I grew up in the Country Club with a box of 64—don’t be stupid,”‘ she wrote.
Adriana also claimed that Abby told her she and her daughter were on the show because ‘they need a sprinkle of colour.’
Abby issued an apology to the women, writing on her own Instagram page: ‘I genuinely understand and deeply regret how my words have affected and hurt those around me in the past, particularly those in the Black community.’
She then directly addressed ‘Kamryn, Adriana, and anyone else I’ve hurt,’ as she vowed to ‘educate herself’ and ‘do better.’
‘I understand that words alone are not enough. I understand it takes time and genuine change,’ she concluded.
Is Dance Moms still airing?
Dance Moms ended in 2019 due to declining ratings and a shifting audience demographic.
Abby’s follow-up show, Abby’s Virtual Dance-Off, was cancelled before it aired in 2020 following her racism controversy.
Spin-off Dance Moms: A New Era aired in 2024 following coach Glo Hampton as she leads Studio Bleu to compete nationally weekly.
Dance Moms was cancelled in 2019, but its still available to stream in the UK. But Dance Moms: A New Era is available to stream on Hulu. You can watch Dance Moms right now on Channel 4.
What has JoJo said about the show?
JoJo has always been very positive about her time on Dance Moms, defending Abby’s behaviour on the show.
The star claimed she knew what she was ‘getting herself into’, continuing: ‘I saw what she was like on TV and I somehow as a kid could always see the bigger picture.’
Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she said: ‘The thing is, I was there to make a TV show. She was there to make a TV show. And that is how dance teachers are. And Dance Moms really just put that on display.
‘But I will say, I have had teachers worse than Abby. Like, she’s not the worst that I’ve had. Toughness-wise, mean-wise. And I liked it. Like I wanted to be good, and she was right.’
Last year, JoJo shared her advice with the cast of spin-off show A New Era, telling E! News they should: ‘Have fun with it. Don’t be nervous about it.’
JoJo and Abby have maintained a close friendship
The Masked Singer star said: ‘You got to film a TV show. Enjoy the wave and make the most of it. If something is showing success, go further in that direction.
‘But if for one second you don’t like it, run away because it’s a very hard industry to be a part of. And if you got it, you got it. But if you don’t, you don’t. And that is okay as well.’
She also urged them to ‘stay original’ and not try and emulate any of the show’s original cast.
In a separate interview about the spin-off with US Weekly, JoJo admitted the idea of Abby being replaced made her feel ‘a little sick to her stomach.’
‘It’s tough when you see someone trying to be someone that you love and really care about,’ she added.
In 2024, told People Magazine she is still close with Abby, describing her former instructor as ‘a great human in her life.’
Abby has spoken out about JoJo’s CBB stint
And the feeling is mutual, with Abby praising JoJo in a new interview examining her time on CBB.
‘I just know that Jojo is a good competitor,’ Abby told GB News.
‘She likes to compete and she’s going to be great at the challenges, whether they’re physical or mental or if she has to sing or dance or act, she’s going to be good.’
Abby said she is ‘proud’ of her co-star, saying she still speaks to her ‘at least once a week.’
Speaking about JoJo’s time on the show, she said: ‘She was feisty. She had charisma. She was precious and adorable.
‘Her face, you looked at her and you just thought she was this angel, and then she opened her mouth.’
Abby said she is certain JoJo will be propelled to pop stardom following her CBB stint, adding: ‘Any time I’m asked about JoJo and her music, I always say that kid is laughing all the way to the bank.’