Abby Lee Miller Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Abby Lee Miller’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $1 million, Abby Lee Miller, an American dance coach and reality television personality, is best known for her participation in the reality TV series “Dance Moms.” Following this, she featured in several spin-off series. Before her rise to fame on reality television, Miller established the Abby Lee Dance Company and dedicated a significant portion of her career to mentoring students in various dance competitions. Throughout her career, she has attracted controversy, facing accusations of racism from multiple individuals. Additionally, she has encountered major legal challenges over the years, which led to time in prison.

Early Life

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 21, 1965, Abby Lee Miller was raised in a family with a strong dance background; her mother was a dance teacher and studio owner. This familial influence ensured that she engaged in dance from a tender age. As a child in Pittsburgh, Miller participated in dance classes at her mother’s studio, and by the age of 14, she was already choreographing and coaching competition teams there. Fifteen years later, she assumed control of the studio. Miller’s ancestry includes both English and Irish heritage.

Reality Television

From 2011 onward, Abby Lee Miller became a central figure on the reality TV show “Dance Moms,” aired by Lifetime. For seven seasons, she was a staple on the show, coaching various students from the Abby Lee Dance Company. Additionally, she appeared in several spin-offs such as “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition,” “Dance Moms: Miami,” and “Dance Moms: Abby’s Studio Rescue.” Apart from her involvement in the “Dance Moms” series, Abby served as a judge on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Book

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

Further Ventures

In 2015, Abby Lee Miller launched a new dance studio named ALDC LA in Los Angeles.

Controversy

Despite becoming a certified member of Dance Masters of America and the Pennsylvania Chapter #10 in 1986, Abby Lee Miller’s membership was ultimately revoked in 2012. The organization felt that her portrayal on “Dance Moms” was unfavorable, describing her reality show as “detrimental to the dance profession.”

In 2020, Miller expressed support for the BLM movement by posting a black square on her Instagram, which led to a wave of racism allegations against her from former colleagues on “Dance Moms,” including Adriana Smith, whose daughter Miller had coached. Smith accused Miller of using racist language towards her.

Additionally, another dance mom, Camille Bridges, accused Miller of exhibiting racist behavior towards her daughter, suggesting that Miller fostered a hostile environment based on race. Although she offered a comprehensive apology, it failed to restore her reality TV career, resulting in Lifetime severing all connections with her.

In 2020, Abby Lee made the announcement that she had departed from “Dance Moms” after spending nine years on the show.

Legal Issues

In 2010, Miller had to file for bankruptcy as she owed over $400,000 in back taxes to the IRS. However, after her bankruptcy filing, she began appearing on “Dance Moms,” resulting in a quick resolution of her financial troubles.

In 2014, she became embroiled in a $5 million lawsuit claiming that the show deliberately staged violent confrontations to boost viewership. The lawsuit was brought forth by a former dancer, who alleged that the hostile environment led to her considerable emotional distress. Ultimately, the charges in this emotional distress lawsuit were dropped.

In 2015, Miller faced indictment for fraud when it was discovered that she had set up a secret bank account to conceal her earnings from various sources, including television contracts and merchandise sales. Under the bankruptcy regulations, she was required to submit monthly income reports, leading to her indictment for bankruptcy fraud, concealment of bankruptcy assets, and false bankruptcy declarations. In total, she hid over $755,000.

The gravity of the charges meant that Abby Lee could face as much as five years in prison. Additionally, she was vulnerable to fines amounting to $255,000 for each of the 20 counts against her. By the end of 2015, she entered a plea of not guilty, and her case was postponed five times. During this time, she was also charged with customs fraud after failing to declare cash earned from a “Dance Moms” tour in Australia.

Finally, in 2017, after a two-day trial, she received her sentence: one year and one day in prison. Abby Lee was also required to pay a $40,000 fine and face a $120,000 judgment. She began her sentence later that year. After serving just over nine months, she was transferred to a halfway house to finish her term.

Health Issues

After her release from prison in 2018, Abby Lee Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This diagnosis followed spinal surgery, which ultimately resulted in her losing the ability to walk due to her health complications.

Real Estate

Miller sold her well-known dance studio in Pennsylvania, the site of the Abby Lee Dance Company, for $300,000 in December 2022.

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