TikTok Dancer Miranda Derrick Called Out Netflix’s New Docuseries “Dancing For The Devil” For Portraying Her As “Brainwashed” As She Maintained That She’s Not Part Of A Cult

This article discusses allegations of sexual abuse.

This week, TikTok dancer Miranda Derrick publicly addressed Netflix’s new Dancing for the Devil docuseries, which features allegations that several TikTok dancers under talent management company 7M Films are part of a cult.

For those who aren’t aware, several former 7M dancers alleged in the three-part docuseries that the company's leader, church pastor Robert Shinn, encouraged them to cut ties with their families to “save” them and grant them a place in Heaven.

Robert founded the nondenominational Shekinah Church in 1994 and opened 7M management in 2021.

Robert has been accused of sexual harassment and financial misconduct by multiple former members of Shekinah and 7M, who have also alleged that the church “is a cult operating under the disguise of a religious institution.” The docuseries states that Robert has denied these allegations.

In 2022, Robert filed a defamation lawsuit against an ex-Shekinah member who was speaking publicly about the alleged abuse they faced. In turn, the ex-Shekinah members countersued him; the case is ongoing and set to go to trial in 2025, per Netflix.

One of the dancers that the docuseries focused on was Miranda Derrick, who rose to fame along with her sister, Melanie, on their joint social media pages, the Wilking Sisters.

In the docuseries, Miranda’s family alleges that she severed ties with them three years ago after she joined 7M with her husband, James Derrick.

Back in 2022, Miranda’s parents and sister were so concerned for her well-being that they went live on Instagram to declare that they would “not stop fighting” for her and ask for any help from people who used to be part of Shekinah or 7M.

At the time, Miranda publicly denied being “in a cult”, and she’s since addressed the allegations again following the release of the Netflix documentary.

Per E! News , the TikTok star wrote on her Instagram stories this week, “I love my Mom, Dad and Melanie and they will forever be a part of my life. The truth is, we just don't see eye to eye at this time.”

Miranda purportedly went on to brand the Netflix documentary “one-sided.”

“I believe that this documentary is a one-sided story. I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 2020 and asked my family for some space in the very beginning to collect my thoughts and process my new walk I wanted to take with God,” she wrote.

“My parents and sister are not religious. They immediately called me going to church twice a week a ‘cult,’” she wrote.

“I have been getting together with them over the past couple years to make amends, move on, and work things out as a family. This documentary has created a further challenge between us as I work to overcome this public attack,” she added.

Miranda purportedly added, “No one likes to be portrayed as their brainwashed/not in control of her own life/shell of herself/human trafficked daughter/sister when that just isn't the truth.”

“I can't convince anyone to believe anything. I am just a woman trying to live my life. I am not a victim, I am not in any harm, I am not being abused. I've never asked my family or anyone else to 'help' me in any way. Respectfully, what I choose to do with my life is up to me,” she said.

Now, Miranda’s sister, Melanie, has addressed her response.

In a new interview with Access Hollywood , Melanie claimed that Miranda and her husband, James, were reached out to “many times” and asked to appear in the Netflix docuseries, which they allegedly “declined every time.”

Responding to Miranda’s claim that she wasn’t supportive of her decision to join 7M, Melanie said, “I went to two of their private dinners and two of the services that you have to be invited to, and I picked up on all these red flags. So when she's saying that we weren't supportive, it was because I was seeing what she wasn't seeing.”

“I was seeing that they wanted to — because I wasn't going anymore — they wanted to rip us apart. And sure enough, look where we are,” she continued.

Melanie added, “Of course, if she was, you know, wanting to further her spiritual journey in a way that wasn't with someone like Robert, that would be fantastic. But we knew the situation, and we were trying to avoid all this.”

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here .

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