JoJo Siwa doesn’t have any time for her former Dance Moms co-stars throwing shade at Abby Lee Miller. One of the reality show’s OG dancers Brooke Hyland, 22, took to TikTok earlier in the week to share a video in which she received a ‘suggested friend’ notification from Abby on Facebook. “I have a new friend suggestion,” she said in the clip, as she filmed her computer screen before turning the camera to face herself and rolling her eyes. 17-year-old Jojo was quick to clap back at her co-star, commenting on the since deleted video, “it’s one thing to just not add her back, it’s another thing to post it.”
Fans were divided over whether they thought Jojo should be defending her former dance teacher. “idk why jojo is sticking up for abby when she literally got treated like s**t the whole season lol,” one fan wrote, while another noted that Brooke also got her start in the industry thanks largely to Abby’s tutelage. “let’s be real , if it wasn’t for abby , brooke wouldn’t be known,” the Dance Moms fan commented.
Brooke and her younger sister Paige Hyland cut ties with the Abby Lee Dance Company and the star-making reality show after their mom, Kelly Hyland got into a physical fight with their dance teacher. Abby pressed charges against Kelly in 2014, and Kelly responded by filing two lawsuits against Abby and Collins Avenue Entertainment, which sought up to $5 million in damages alleging emotional distress, breach of contract, defamation, and assault. Their legal battle was settled in 2015.
On May 5, Abby announced she was leaving Dance Moms after nine years on on the Lifetime reality television show. “Nine years ago, we were in AZ filming Dance Moms. Satan stuck a pen in my hand insisting that I sign a contract!,” Abby captioned the photo, which showed her hunched over the official papers. “I was at the competition, literally in front of the stage, rehearsing a routine. I was kinda busy! But the show must go on, right? I did my 8 seasons, 2 spin offs and now a new self contained competition show in the midst of our global pandemic.”