What Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller's Relationship With JoJo Siwa Is Really Like

Abby Lee Miller has shared a complicated relationship with the girls she coached on "Dance Moms." In fact, several of the show's alums want nothing to do with Miller because of the way she ruthlessly criticized them over the years. However, JoJo Siwa has made it clear that she doesn't share the same beliefs as her castmates. During an April 2024 episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, the singer shared that she had first made Miller's acquaintance on "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition," so she had realistic expectations going into "Dance Moms." 

The "Guilty Pleasure" songstress also knew that her interactions with Miller were part of a TV show, so she better understood her dramatic nature. As a result, she wasn't too offended by Miller's mean-spirited words growing up. "There wasn't anything besides like, tough love almost, you know what I mean? Like she wanted us to be the best," Siwa stated. Additionally, the former child dancer asserted that Miller's behavior on the show wasn't too different from how dance teachers treated their young pupils behind the scenes, so she wasn't too shocked by it. 

Similarly, in a 2021 Entertainment Tonight interview, the "Karma" singer expressed her disappointment in her "Dance Moms" alums for failing to acknowledge that Miller was pivotal for their careers since their show wouldn't have been as successful without her. Given all this, it's unsurprising that Siwa told People in 2024 that she stayed in touch with her former mentor because she appreciated her presence in her life.

When Abby Lee Miller appeared on "The Unplanned Podcast" in July 2024, she shared that she was fond of JoJo Siwa and believed she has "star quality." However, the dance instructor asserted that the former YouTuber stuck out amongst her peers, and she wasn't a huge fan of this quality because she wanted the dance group to be unified. Miller also shared that Siwa's homeschooled roots had caused her to grow up without learning some basic etiquette. 

"So, the standing in line, taking your turn, raising your hand [things] you learn at school, she didn't have," Miller explained, adding, "So she would just blurt out questions in the middle of a conversation and interrupt adults when they were speaking. That's the kind of stuff I had to crack down on her, and she learned." And the reality TV star admitted that Siwa tried her best to rectify her mistakes. Despite all of Miller's grapples with Siwa, she believed she was a phenomenal solo dancer.

Meanwhile, in Siwa's 2018 chat with People, she admitted that she had tremendous gratitude for Miller because she helped her learn the ropes of dancing as well as basic life skills like table etiquette. Even Miller told Entertainment Tonight in 2021 that she couldn't be happier about all of her former student's success. She also shared that Siwa's family had supported her as she dealt with health problems and she knew she could always rely on them. 

After JoJo Siwa's rebrand stirred drama, Abby Lee Miller defended her in a TikTok video. The choreographer pointed out that while Siwa had changed her clothing and makeup, she was still the same tremendously underneath. "It's still her doing incredible dancing, so I don't know if it's so much as a rebranding or just maturing, getting older [and] wanting to show another side of her," Miller said. 

She was also impressed by Siwa's beauty in a bare-faced shot of her in the "Karma" music video and her eye-catching wardrobe choices. Miller was similarly in awe of Siwa after she identified her sexuality in a 2021 Instagram video. In Miller's chat with Entertainment Tonight, she supported her former student by saying she was proud of her for coming out on a public platform. Meanwhile, Siwa once defended Miller against a "Dance Moms" alum. 

In 2020, Brooke Hyland posted a TikTok of her rolling her eyes at a screenshot of Miller sending her a Facebook friend request, and Siwa commented under the video to let her know that it was in poor taste. Of course, Miller has also received flak from the general public for the way she berated her young students on "Dance Moms." Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2024, Siwa asserted that her harsh words were warranted, adding, "If I was a mess and a beat off, she wasn't just yelling at me because she wanted to yell at me. I actually was a mess and I was a beat off."