Miranda Derrick, the central figure in Netflix’s hit docuseries “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult,” has released a video on Instagram claiming that her and her husband James’ lives have been put at risk since the show’s premiere.
The series, which debuted on May 29, follows a group of TikTok dancers who believe they are involved with a talent management company called 7M. The documentary focuses on Derrick, who is estranged from her family, as they attempt to bring her back home. The series also explores the controversial leader of 7M, Robert Shinn, a self-proclaimed “man of God” and pastor at the exclusive Shekinah Church. Former members of 7M share their stories of manipulation and grief under Shinn’s leadership, with one former member, Priscylla Lee, currently suing Shinn and other church members.
In her emotional video, Derrick, who boasts 2.7 million followers on TikTok and 1.7 million on Instagram, states, “I know I don’t normally make this kind of content. 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.”
Derrick shared alarming details, including screenshots of threatening messages she has 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.”
She expressed frustration with her parents and sister, Melanie Wilking, blaming them for the documentary’s impact on her life. “I don’t understand how my parents and my sister thought that this documentary would help me or our relationship in any way,” she said.
Despite the documentary ending on a note of partial reconciliation between Derrick and her family, she hints that the relationship may be deteriorating again. “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.”
Derrick concludes her video by addressing her recent lack of content and promising to post more as she “sees the light at the end of the tunnel.” She thanked her followers for their support during this challenging time.
“Dancing for the Devil” has garnered significant attention, with streaming ratings from Luminate showing it was watched by an estimated 4.4 million people during the week of May 31-June 6.
