Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller Is Being Sued For Assault By Former Pupil
By Elinor Cosgrave in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 11 October 2014
Abby Lee Miller, the star of the Lifetime reality show 'Dance Moms', is reportedly being sued by one of her former pupils for assault.
A lawsuit has been filed against Dance Moms' star Abby Lee Miller in which a former student claims Miller assaulted her.
Abby Lee Miller at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards.
The suit was filed on Thursday (9th October) at Los Angeles Superior Court by representatives of 13-year-old Paige Hyland. According to Deadline, Hyland alleges Miller assaulted her and was generally abusive, even once throwing a chair at her former dance student.
The suit claims Miller "intentionally engaged in conduct that caused Plaintiff Paige Hyland to reasonably believe that she was about to be touched or harmed in an offensive manner." The suit further claims Hyland is suffering from anxiety and panic attacks as a result of Miller's allegedly abusive behaviour.
Hyland has also featured on the Lifetime show along with her sister Paige and mother Kelly. Kelly Hyland has a troubled relationship with Miller. As E! reports, Kelly once danced for Abby's mother and continued at the school when Abby took over but was disinvited from the school in the fourth season.
Abby Lee Miller at the 2014 MTV VMAs.
Hyland further claims Miller, for the sake of the show, is "paid to be abusive and bullying to her students and provoke arguments with the mothers in front of the children." However, in one instance Hyland alleges Miller took advantage of her mother's absence to physically assault her. The suit states: "Miller even tossed a chair during a confrontation with Paige, while Kelly Hyland was not present, causing Paige to run from the room terrified as she feared she would be physically injured by Miller."
The suit claims Miller was also abusive to Kelly and other people on the show, which allegedly made Hyland more fearful. An extract from the suit reads: "Paige Hyland reasonably feared she would be physically injured because she had observed Miller physically batter other people on the show including physically pushing [mother] Kelly Hyland's face, pinching another student until she bled and violently grabbing another student by the arm."
Hyland is asking for an injunction against Miller and unspecified punitive damages and court costs, according to E!.
Dance Moms follows the students of the Abby Lee Dance Company in the early stages of their careers performing. The fifth season of the show is set to begin filming this month.
Abby Lee Miller at the VMAs.
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