It shouldn’t take much scrolling on your FYP to spot the latest true crime mystery series that’s got many in a chokehold. On May 29, Netflix debuted the shocking docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult. The series focuses on 7M Management Agency and how the organization reportedly encourages its dancers to isolate from their loved ones. What sets this management company apart and makes it particularly unsettling is that it operates as a branch of Shekinah Church, an L.A.-based religious organization.
Both the agency and the church are led by Robert Shinn, the founder of 7M Films and pastor of Shekinah Church. The new series features current members’ families as well as interviews with former dancers from the agency as they describe their journeys up to this point, as well as their work to reunite with their loved ones and put an end to 7M Management’s alleged wrongdoings.
Miranda Derrick’s name has been circulating constantly as more information has become available following the Netflix series’ release. Derrick is not a new name in the news. In February 2022, her sister, Melanie Wilking, along with their parents Kelly and Dean Wilking, went live on Instagram to express their concern for Miranda’s well-being after she cut off contact with them and began to exhibit a change in behavior after joining 7M around January 2021. Miranda married James Derrick, a fellow dancer and 7M talent, without her family’s knowledge, and even chose not to attend her grandfather’s funeral.
Worried that she had joined a cult, the family conducted the live as a last-ditch effort to connect with Miranda. In a now-deleted TikTok video, Miranda gave her side of the story, revealing that she’s severed ties with her family due to their lack of approval of her interracial relationship with James. Now that the Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult docuseries have reignited some more lingering reservations from fans, many people are wondering where Miranda is now and whether she’s still part of the organization.
Miranda responded to the claims made in the Netflix docuseries on her TikTok feed on June 4. She explained that the reason for her lack of sharing her side of the story is because of an ongoing legal battle that restricts her from speaking more on the issue.
“I want to start by saying that I appreciate the concern that has been expressed for my well-being. Due to pending litigation, in which I am a plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit, it’s not appropriate for me to comment on specific allegations. Though I will state that I do not condone abuse in any way,” Derrick wrote.
She went on to discuss how she and her family “just don’t see eye to eye” and how she asked them for space when she began her walk with God in 2020. She also mentioned her desire to continue working with her sister Melanie on their shared TikTok, the Wilking Sisters (which is now entirely run by Melanie) but was denied access to the account, which ultimately prompted her to pursue a dance career alone.
Miranda also explained why she did not attend her grandfather’s funeral, stating that she was afraid her family would hold her there and never allow her to return to L.A. She concluded her statement by writing, “I am just a woman trying to live my life. I am not a victim, I am not in any harm, I am not being abused. I’ve never asked my family or anyone else to ‘help’ me in any way. Respectfully, what I choose to do with my life is up to me.”
According to CNN, the Wilkings and several former 7M dancers’ civil litigation against Robert Shinn is set to go to trial in July 2025 in L.A. All we can wish for is the best for these dancers and their families as they navigate this difficult time.