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Miranda Derrick, the subject of Netflix‘s docuseries “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult,” released a video on Instagram claiming that her and her husband James’ “lives have been put in danger” since the release of the hit documentary.
The three-episode series, which premiered on May 29, follows a group of TikTok dancers who believe they are involved in a talent management company called 7M. The docuseries focuses on Miranda Derrick, a member who’s estranged from her family, which is desperately trying to get her out. It also paints a portrait of Robert Shinn, the 7M leader and self-proclaimed “man of God” who is a pastor at an invite-only church called Shekinah. Members who escaped 7M shared their stories of heartbreak and grief under the leader. One former member, Priscylla Lee, who participated in the series, currently has a lawsuit against Shinn and other Shekinah members.
“I know I don’t normally make this kind of content,” Derrick says as she begins her video. “I just wanted to be transparent and a little vulnerable with you. Before this documentary, my husband and I felt safe. Now that this documentary is out, we feel like our lives have been put in danger. We have both been followed in our cars, we have received hate mail, death threats, people have been sending us messages to commit suicide, and we’ve been stalked.”
Derrick goes on to share examples, with apparent screenshots of messages she’s received. “Someone said that, if I see you on the street, I’m going to come and get you so you better get security,” she claims. “Someone also said that, if I see you walking on the sidewalk, I’m going to come and shove you in the trunk of my car.”
The dancer-performer, who has 2.7 million followers on TikTok and 1.7 million on Instagram, places blame on her parents and sister, Melanie Wilking. “I don’t understand how my parents and my sister thought that this documentary would help me or our relationship in any way.”
By the end of the documentary, it’s revealed that Derrick and her family have somewhat reconciled and are communicating. However, claims by the family in the series say it’s at the behest of her alleged cult leader to give a false facade that he’s not keeping his young members away from their families.
Sadly, Derrick hints that the open line of communication may now be closing: “I have been getting together with my family for the past couple of years, privately, to work on our relationship, to make things right, to mend what has been broken. I’ve been loving getting together, laughing, just enjoying each other’s company. And this documentary has made it very difficult to continue doing that.”
She closes her video by addressing her lack of content recently and promises to post more as she “sees the light at the end of the tunnel,” thanking her followers who have supported her through this.
According to the most recent streaming ratings by Luminate, “Dancing for the Devil” was watched by an estimated 4.4 million people during the week of May 31-June 6. Netflix confirmed to Variety that the documentary will be submitted for consideration at the upcoming News & Documentary Emmy Awards later this year.
“Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” is now streaming on Netflix.
