Maddie Ziegler Felt Like She Could Be Herself After She Quit ‘Dance Moms’
Maddie Ziegler couldn’t have predicted just how much being cast in Dance Moms would change her life. At eight years old, the dancer had no idea the levels of fame that reality TV show would bring her. And considering Dance Moms was originally pitched as a six-episode docuseries, the Bloody Hell star couldn’t have predicted just how long her stint on the Lifetime series would be. However, it would be years before she quit the reality TV show.
‘Dance Moms’ was a stressful environment for Maddie Ziegler
Fans of Dance Moms no doubt witnessed the level of stress that Ziegler faced while on the show. As Abby Lee Miller’s favorite, the dancer had to deal with incredible amounts of pressure. She was known as the “go-to” girl and always slated to win. This, coupled with her perfectionist tendencies, made things quite stressful for the dancer. The Fallout actor also had a very grueling filming schedule in addition to the many hours that she devoted to dance.
It seemed that the writing was on the wall for Ziegler to make her exit from Dance Moms in season 6. By this point, she had been working with her long-time collaborator, Sia, for years. Furthermore, she’d begun venturing into acting also. In fact, the show’s filming schedule had prohibited her from being able to accept other fruitful opportunities. To top it all off, Ziegler was tired of the incessant drama that the show fostered. In fact, she’d been wanting to quit the show for years before she was able to make her exit.
The actor felt that she could be herself after she quit the show
Ultimately, Ziegler was able to get out of her Dance Moms contract and leave the show. It ended up being a great decision for her, and she never regretted it. Back in 2017, she talked to Seventeen about her decision to quit the show. Though she expressed gratitude, she was sure that she’d made the right decision.
“The show was a really stressful time—I just didn’t want to deal with all of the drama anymore,” Ziegler shared about Dance Moms. “I’m happy I’ve moved on. I get to step out and do my own thing and be myself. But I am thankful for the experience, and I miss dancing with the girls.”
Ziegler has remained booked and busy since she quit ‘Dance Moms’
While Ziegler no longer dances with her fellow Dance Moms castmates, she is still friends with quite a few of them. She has shared multiple times that she is still very close with Paige Hyland, Brooke Hyland, Nia Sioux, Chloé Lukasiak, and, of course, her little sister, Mackenzie Ziegler. Maddie has also been able to explore other passions since she quit Dance Moms. The 20-year-old has brand deals, a makeup partnership, acting credits, multiple books she authored, and more. So while Dance Moms may have launched Maddie’s career, she’s definitely been able to achieve greater heights without the show.
