Maddie Ziegler has recently shared a deeply personal revelation regarding her time on the hit reality show Dance Moms. In a candid conversation, the actress and dancer disclosed that her mother, Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni, has apologized for the pressures and experiences Maddie endured during her childhood stardom on the program. This heartfelt apology came after Maddie opened up about the lasting impact of Dance Moms on her life, most recently on Emily Ratajkowski’s podcast, High Low with EmRata.
During a vulnerable moment last year, Maddie experienced a severe panic attack, prompting a phone call to her mother. “Last year, I was having a really bad panic attack and I called my mom and things were coming up from the past, and she apologized to me,” Ziegler revealed. Melissa’s apology was a poignant moment of recognition, with her saying, “I’m so sorry I put you through that.” Maddie emphasized her mother’s good intentions, acknowledging, “It’s so sad because she would never want to hurt us, but none of us knew how crazy it would get.” Joining the show at just seven years old, Maddie quickly became a central figure, and the intense environment, fueled by producers seeking drama and the immense pressure to constantly win, began to take its toll.
Alt text: Melissa Ziegler and Maddie Ziegler during a Dance Moms episode, showcasing the mother-daughter dynamic.
Reflecting on the demanding expectations placed upon her, Maddie touched upon the pressure from her former coach, Abby Lee Miller. “Looking back — and a lot of people have started to say this — it’s like, ‘Wow, she actually had the most pressure on her,’ because she was like, ‘You’re my girl, so you have to lead everyone to victory every time,’ which is just not sustainable,” Maddie explained. Ultimately, Maddie departed Dance Moms in 2016, shifting her focus to other projects, including her continued collaboration with Sia. However, the relentless schedule of Dance Moms undeniably overshadowed a significant portion of her childhood.
Alt text: Maddie Ziegler reflecting on her Dance Moms journey in an interview, discussing the pressures of childhood fame.
Having started dancing at the tender age of two, Maddie admitted to experiencing memory gaps from her early years, particularly those consumed by the show. “I’ve blocked out so much of my childhood that I actually don’t know what my life was like even just before working,” she confessed to Ratajkowski. The extent of this memory blocking is such that Maddie sometimes rediscovers moments from her past through online clips. “It’s weird to find out things that I did when I was younger on TikTok. I’ll see people posting things of me, and I’m like, ‘I don’t even remember doing that.'”
Maddie has previously addressed her complex relationship with Dance Moms, acknowledging its role in her rise to fame while also highlighting its detrimental aspects. In a 2022 interview with Cosmopolitan, she described the environment as “toxic” and expressed her readiness to move beyond it. She recounted the damaging lessons instilled by her dance teacher, stating, “My dance teacher taught that if you don’t get the trophy, if you don’t get the crown, you are less than, which is the worst way to train a kid. It carries into other life lessons,” she shared. The competitive atmosphere was further intensified by restrictions on interacting with rivals, “We also weren’t allowed to watch our competitors or be friends with them. I’ve had to unlearn a lot of those things.” Melissa Ziegler’s apology marks a significant step in acknowledging the challenges Maddie faced and the long-term impact of the Dance Moms phenomenon on her life.
