Tragic Life Details About Dance Moms' Christi Lukasiak

While reality television is scripted to some degree, its allure is that viewers get to see what others' lives are (almost) really like. Whether it's watching irresistible home renovation shows on HGTV, or aspiring dancers hoping to hit it big on the seemingly scripted "Dance Moms," we find ourselves captivated by the ups and downs the show's stars go through.

Of course, our fascination with those moments continues after the cameras are turned off. Take, for example, Christi Lukasiak and her daughter Chloe Lukasiak, who found fame on the Lifetime reality show "Dance Moms," appearing in more than 100 episodes. They have lived and worked — and in Chloe's case, danced — in the public eye since the show debuted in 2011 and after it ended in 2017. They also joined in the show's 2024 reunion, which Chloe said brought her some closure.

"You might know me as the funny, fiery, and eternally optimistic mom from "Dance Mom" who tells it like it is," Christi wrote on her website. "You also probably know that I've made mistakes. Some of which have been on TV. Thankfully, I've been lucky enough to build a career sharing what I've learned along the way." Unfortunately, some of those lessons came after tragic moments in her life. Here's a look at the hardest times Christi has had to endure, both before and after becoming famous.

Part of the reason Christi Lukasiak was so set on helping her daughter Chloe Lukasiak realize her dreams as a dancer was because she knew what it was like to have parents who didn't care about their child's aspirations. "I had a rough childhood with unsupportive parents," Lukasiak said during an interview with blogger Aunt Joyce, adding that she had to hide the fact that she snuck out to cheerleading. "I was a cheerleader even though I wasn't supposed to be. I think it's important to support your children and what they're interested in."

When she got a bit older, Christi wanted to strike out on her own, but unfortunately never got the chance. In 2022, Christi shared a video on her YouTube channel called "Story Time! My BIGGEST Mistakes & Regrets in Life," where she discussed one thing she would have liked to have done as a young adult — move to New York City. She said that wished she had some time to be independent as a young adult before getting married and having kids. "I just wish I had done that for myself," she said. "I don't regret the way my life has gone, I just wish that I had done that."

When Christi Lukasiak agreed to allow her 9-year-old daughter Chloe Lukasiak to star in "Dance Moms" in the early 2010s, she couldn't have imagined how big the show would get. The plan was to feature the young members of the competition dance team at Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh. In 2024, Chloe told Buzzfeed they were only supposed to film half a dozen episodes. "So, we were like, "Oh, this will be cool. Maybe it'll be good on our résumé in a couple of years," and then it became, like, a totally different experience," Chloe said.

Years after the show ended, Chloe told People that her mom regretted having her daughter endure all the drama that came with filming and being around some of the show's many scandals. "I know she felt a lot of guilt at the time," Chloe said, adding that she felt the experience was overall formative. "I hope, if anything, she feels less guilty now because I am a huge believer that everything happens for a reason."

Christi told Buzzfeed that one way she deals with the "Dance Moms" fallout is by focusing on the good times. She and Kelly Hyland (mother of dancer Brooke Hyland) have revisited the show for their "Back to the Barre" podcast. "I think it's kind of therapeutic for the two of us to go through it together," Christi said. "We're reliving the fun side that maybe the fans or the viewers didn't get to see ... It wasn't just all the negative stuff that people watched."

While Christi Lukasiak may have had some tough times growing up, she luckily had a close relationship with her grandmother Elizabeth "Liz" Ulyas, who she lived with for a time. In the first season of "Dance Moms," Christi cried as she had to decide between going to see her gram, who was hospitalized, or going to a competition with her daughter Chloe. She ultimately felt that her gram would want her to be there for Chloe.

Despite not being up on the latest technology, Ulyas had joined social media to help keep up with Chloe and Christi as they traveled. "I would have actual conversations with her and say 1. NOT to tweet me (she was 87 at the time) and just call me instead and 2. She didn't need to defend my Dance Moms behavior on Facebook. I was just fine," Christi recalled on Facebook.

Ulyas sadly passed away in 2015, and Christi has taken to social media several times since to remember her gram and celebrate her life. In 2019, Christi wrote on Instagram: "As a child, I adored her and spent every single moment I could with her. But as an adult, I appreciated what a spunky spitfire she was." In 2020, Christi once again shared fond memories, including how Ulves always wore makeup out in public, enjoyed creating as an artist, and was a fun — and funny — person all around. "She was literally the coolest," Lukasiak wrote.

After a toxic interaction with dance studio owner and instructor Abby Lee Miller, Christi and Chloe Lukasiak finally left "Dance Moms" at the end of Season 4. While the show was edited to make it seem that Miller had told Christi that Chloe wasn't as good anymore, the Lukasiaks later said the cameras didn't show that Miller actually made fun of Chloe's eye condition. 

"Abby actually made fun [of] Chloe's face caused by a medical condition there, NOT HER DANCING!" Christi wrote on X, then called Twitter, in October 2014. In the end, Lukasiak told blogger Aunt Joyce that they had only stayed so long with the show because of Chloe. "If I left because I was disappointed with Abby, I'd be depriving my daughter of the friendships she has formed," she said. Chloe later clarified on YouTube that she has silent sinus syndrome and she overheard Miller's comments. "She made fun of me ... what she said was horrible," she said.

Today, it's clear that Christi is ready to leave "Dance Moms" behind. While she did participate in the 2024 reunion special — though only Chloe attended the taping — she told Buzzfeed that she and her daughter wanted to attend to make sure they could stand up for themselves if needed. "It killed me not to be there. ... But I knew that if there was something they talked about that was related to me, I knew that [Chloe] would have my back. And she did," Christi said.

Unfortunately, Christi Lukasiak ran into trouble with the law in June 2024, as she was arrested after allegedly driving under the influence and wrecking her Audi Q7, according to Pennsylvania authorities.

CBS News reported that Lukasiak was driving in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania on June 27 when she crashed, hitting a tree and a telephone pole. She told the Murrysville police officers who arrived on the scene that she had a couple of glasses of wine at a restaurant called the Wooden Nickel.

Lukasiak failed a breath test and after taking field sobriety tests, officers said she was not able to drive safely. "While talking to Lukasiak, police said her eyes were bloodshot and glassy and her speech was slurred. She also smelled like alcohol, the officer said," according to CBS News. Officers said that Lukasiak refused a blood test, People reported. She was charged with driving under the influence, and had not entered a plea as of July 16, her attorney confirmed to People. She was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 13, 2024, Us Weekly reported.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).