TikTok creator Miranda Derick has denied her family’s claims that she belongs to a religious cult following the release of Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult on Netflix.
The documentary, which premiered last week, focuses on TikTok talent management company 7M Films and the Shekinah Church. It includes interviews with former 7M clients who claim that the company and the church are a religious cult. The film also accuses company and church founder Robert Sheen of exploitation, brainwashing and several forms of abuse, allegations he previously denied in court documents and in the company’s statement to Daily Beast In 2022.
Derek, one of the subjects of the show who signed with 7M Films, described the documentary as one-sided.
In early 2022, Derek’s parents and sister posted a video claiming the company had “brainwashed” her into ending communication. Derek and her sister Melanie Wilking had previously posted short dance routines through their joint social media account, called the Wilking Sisters, on TikTok and Instagram, amassing millions of followers together before they both went solo.
in The Instagram Story was posted late WednesdayDerrick said that although pending lawsuits prevent her from addressing specific allegations, she wanted to share her side of the story.
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“I love my mom, dad and Melanie and they will forever be a part of my life,” she wrote. “The truth is, we don’t see eye to eye this time.”
Here’s what we know.
Derek says her family rejects her conversion to religion
Derek said that since she began converting to the religion by going to church twice a week, her non-religious parents and sister have accused her of being part of a “cult.”
“I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 2020 and asked my family for some space at first to gather my thoughts and process my new career,” Derek said. “My family did not respect the space I asked for and I saw a different side of them that I had never seen before. Honestly, it made me feel mad, frustrated and upset because they were so arrogant and messy.”
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The internet dancer shared that her sister logged Derek out of her Wilking Sisters account and denied her requests for access, leaving her with “no choice but to start my career.”
Derek recalled visiting their grandfather in the hospital in 2020 on the day he died and that Wilking felt insulted and angry when she began praying during the car ride there. She added that she chose not to attend his funeral in Michigan for fear that her parents would prevent her from returning to her home in Los Angeles.
“I have been meeting with them over the past two years to make amends, move on and resolve things as a family. This documentary has created an additional challenge between us as I work to overcome this public attack,” Derek said. “No one likes to be portrayed as being brainwashed/not in control of their life/their own shell/a daughter/sister being trafficked by humans when that’s not the truth.”
Melanie suspects Miranda saw the documentary
In an interview with luster Wilking said Wednesday that she doubts Derick actually watched the documentary based on her statement.
“I feel like it’s very clear that she didn’t watch it because it’s so much bigger than just our family situation,” Wilking said. “It goes a lot deeper into that, and if you watch the documentary, you’ll know that. So, it was very sad for me, and it was very sad when I read that. It’s like I can’t believe she saw it.”
She said that Derek and her husband attended her May 25 wedding with NFL player Austin Ekeler in Las Vegas and that the sisters’ “interactions were very positive.”
“I’m glad we can share that memory together,” she said.
7M describes the series as a “slanderous work of fiction.”
In a statement to USA TODAY, 7M Films called Netflix “a slanderous work of fiction, born from a failed blackmail attempt, and invented for the sole purpose of gaining fame and fortune.”
The company accused Melanie Lee Goldman and Elisha Priscilla Lee of running a “coordinated smear campaign” two years ago against Sheen, his family and business partners after Sheen did not give in to Ms Lee’s extortionate demands.
“Despite sworn statements by co-conspirators confirming Ms. Goldman and Ms. Lee’s scheme to spread falsehoods on a massive scale, Netflix has recklessly provided a global platform to promote a false narrative that is at the heart of the ongoing litigation,” the statement said. “We will continue to pursue all available legal remedies to stop the spread of salacious lies and expect to be fully vindicated in court.”
Shin accuses former 7M members of defaming him.
In 2022, Sheen filed a defamation lawsuit against several 7M members, accusing them of defamation and trade libel for making “false statements” that his organizations were a cult and making “blatant and defamatory attacks on social media and other media.” According to CNN.
In March 2023, Aubrey Fisher-Green, Kylie Douglas, Kevin “Concrete” Davis and others filed a lawsuit. Cross complaint Accusing Sheen of running a “cult” and taking advantage of his followers.
In the cross-complaint, Sheen was alleged to have exercised control over the lives of his church members in various ways, from financial to health-related matters among others.
The Los Angeles-based talent management company represents “some of the top social media influencers in the world,” according to 7M’s website. The company says the number of social media followers of its clients, who range from professional dancers, actors, models and music industry professionals, has increased from 1.78 million to 10.42 million since its founding in 2021.
Contributing: Emily Deliter
“Freelance entrepreneur. Communicator. Gamer. Explorer. Pop culture practitioner.”
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