After the Dance Moms: The Reunion trailer first dropped, viewers quickly put together that several of the main stars of the Lifetime show would not be in attendance. Maddie Ziegler and Mackenzie Ziegler were noticeably absent from the TV special, but why?
Keep reading to find out why the dancing sisters skipped out on the reunion.
Why Were Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler Absent From the Reunion?
The original members of the hit TV series were missed during the reunion, but it seems they had a pretty good reason as to why. During an Instagram Live in 2023, Mackenzie revealed the real reason behind their absence.
The former dancer said that it “had nothing to do with the girls,” but rather that they weren’t interested in rehashing old wounds. “We just, like, didn’t really wanna go back in time, you know what I’m saying, to that era,” she explained.
While Dance Moms aired, Maddie was often deemed as Abby Lee Miller’s “favorite,” which put immense pressure on the dancer, she has since revealed. It also led to Mackenzie constantly being compared to her sister, which added a different level of competition.
What Has Maddie Ziegler Said About ‘Dance Moms’?
While Maddie hasn’t openly shared her reason for skipping out on the sit-down reunion, the West Side Story actress has opened up on her past experience on the show before.
“Obviously, I have my feelings about that [show], but if I didn’t do it, I would not be where I am right now at all,” she told Teen Vogue in March 2024.
The actress continued to express her gratitude saying, “I wouldn’t have been found by Sia. I wouldn’t have found my love for acting through music videos, and I wouldn’t be where I am.”
While Maddie says she’s thankful for the opportunities she received from her former dance coach, she doesn’t plan to reconnect with Abby anytime soon.
“She was distraught [when I left]. For the longest time, we felt so guilty. She trained me, she helped me, but also, I knew I would be okay without her and I was sick of being in a toxic environment. I was like, ‘This is not for me. I can’t do this.’ I haven’t spoken to her since. I feel at peace,” she told Cosmopolitan in 2022.
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