Abby Lee Miller Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Abby Lee Miller’s Net Worth: What Is It?

Abby Lee Miller, an American dance coach and star of reality television, has a net worth estimated at $1 million. Best known for her role in the reality series “Dance Moms,” she also featured in various spin-off shows. Before achieving fame on reality TV, Miller founded the Abby Lee Dance Company and dedicated much of her career to mentoring students in dance competitions. Over time, she has garnered attention as a controversial figure, with multiple accusations of racism against her and significant legal troubles that led to her serving jail time.

Early Life

Born on September 21, 1965, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Abby Lee Miller grew up in a family immersed in dance, with her mother being a dance teacher and studio owner. Consequently, she was introduced to dance at a very early age. She learned the craft by attending classes at her mother’s studio and began choreographing and coaching competition teams by age 14. Fifteen years later, she took control of the studio. Miller’s heritage includes both English and Irish roots.

Reality Television Journey

Abby Lee Miller joined the cast of the reality TV show “Dance Moms” in 2011, which aired on Lifetime. For seven seasons, she was a key player on the show, coaching various students from the Abby Lee Dance Company. She also featured in several spin-offs, including “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition,” “Dance Moms: Miami,” and “Dance Moms: Abby’s Studio Rescue.” Beyond the “Dance Moms” franchise, she served as a judge on the series “Dancing with the Stars.”

Published Work

Miller released a book titled “Everything I Learned about Life, I Learned in Dance Class” in 2014.

New Ventures

In 2015, she opened a new dance studio, ALDC LA, located in Los Angeles.

Controversial Moments

Abby Lee became a certified member of Dance Masters of America and the Dance Masters of Pennsylvania Chapter #10 in 1986, but her membership was revoked in 2012 due to her involvement in “Dance Moms,” which the organization felt cast them in a negative light. Dancer Masters of America representatives remarked that her reality show’s impact was “detrimental to the dance profession.”

In 2020, after sharing a black square on Instagram in support of the BLM movement, Miller faced accusations of racism from previous colleagues on “Dance Moms,” including Adriana Smith, mother of one of her former dancers. Smith alleged that Miller had used racist language toward her.

Another mother from the show, Camille Bridges, accused Miller of racist conduct directed at her daughter. Both mothers suggested that Miller had consciously fostered a hostile atmosphere based on their daughters’ races. Although Miller offered a lengthy apology, it was insufficient to preserve her reality TV career, leading Lifetime to sever all connections with her. In late 2020, Abby Lee announced her departure from “Dance Moms” after a nine-year run.

Legal Troubles

Miller declared bankruptcy in 2010, owing the IRS over $400,000 in back taxes. However, her financial difficulties seemed to dissipate following her appearance on “Dance Moms.”

In 2014, she was part of a $5 million lawsuit that claimed the show staged violent confrontations to boost viewer ratings. The plaintiff, a former dancer on the show, stated that this created a distressing environment for her. Ultimately, the emotional distress lawsuit had the charges dropped.

In 2015, she faced fraud charges after it was discovered that she maintained a hidden bank account to conceal her income from various sources such as TV contracts and merchandise sales. As a bankruptcy filer, she was obligated to submit monthly income reports, leading to accusations of bankruptcy fraud, hiding bankruptcy assets, and making false bankruptcy declarations. She concealed over $755,000.

The serious charges could have led Abby Lee to face up to five years in prison, along with fines of $255,000 for each of the 20 charges against her. In late 2015, she pleaded not guilty, with her case postponed five times. During this time, she also faced customs fraud charges for failing to report cash income from a “Dance Moms” tour in Australia.

She received her sentence in 2017 after a two-day hearing, which resulted in one year and one day in prison. Additionally, she was ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and a $120,000 judgment. Later that year, she began serving her sentence. After spending just over nine months in prison, she was moved to a halfway house to complete her term.

Health Challenges

In 2018, post her prison release, Abby Lee Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, following spinal surgery. As a result of her health complications, she eventually lost her ability to walk.

Real Estate Transactions

In December 2022, Miller sold her long-time dance studio in Pennsylvania, the home of the Abby Lee Dance Company, for $300,000.

In March 2005, Abby Lee purchased a home in Davenport, Florida, for $243,000, which she listed for sale in January 2023 at $399,999.