Wild Netflix doco, Dancing For The Devil, exposes alleged ‘TikTok cult’
Terrifying details of a mysterious alleged TikTok cult have been exposed in an eye-opening new Netflix documentary.
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A family’s gut-wrenching Instagram plea has inspired a hugely popular Netflix documentary about a mysterious alleged cult.
Melanie Wilking and her parents, Kelly and Dean, made headlines in 2022 when they publicly accused a mysterious talent agency of being a cult.
In an almost 40-minute long video, they claimed Miranda, Melanie’s sister, was being manipulated and exploited.
Melanie, flanked by her parents, cried as she said: “We’re not allowed to contact her; we’re blocked on absolutely everything.”
She turns to her mother and asks, “Do we want to say it?” before Miranda refused to go to their grandfather’s funeral, saying, “she can’t come home”.
The Wilking family immediately flew to LA, where they briefly spoke to Miranda.
In the tearful clip, her father declared as his voice broke, “she’s a completely different person”.
The family said she had made vague and concerning statements when they begged her to return to Michigan for her grandfather’s funeral, like, “I’m afraid I’m going to make a mistake” and “I’m just learning”.
“Whatever she’s involved in, she’s got some kind of control over her,” her mother said.
Their once loving, close-knit has remained separated since.
Families divided, allegations of a cult with a controlling pastor, and TikTok dancing — these are all elements of Netflix’s latest documentary, and Australians can’t get enough. But the tale is indeed a harrowing one.
The Wilking sisters, originally from Michigan, shared a tight bond over dancing since childhood. They eventually found success on social media, amassing millions of TikTok followers and securing lucrative brand partnerships.
In 2019, Miranda’s life took a dramatic turn after she relocated to Los Angeles.
She spent more time with members of a church-affiliated talent-management company, 7M Films, that represented her.
Melanie was also privy to 7M and quickly distanced herself after spotting red flags.
This caused Miranda to distance herself from her family, ultimately cutting off contact and raising alarm among her loved ones.
Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is a new documentary series directed by Derek Doneen.
It follows the story of Miranda and many others who became involved with the Los Angeles-based 7M Films under the leadership of a pastor.
The Wilkings feature prominently in the documentary, providing gut-wrenching insights as the series probes the alleged influence of a mysterious and charismatic leader – Dr Robert Shinn.
“Audiences will be surprised by how easily regular people can get sucked into cult-like groups and how devastating the impact can be on families, friends, and communities,” Doneen told Netflix’s in-house press.
“I’m in awe of the families who let us in as they worked tirelessly to rescue their loved ones.”
Dancing for the Devil also includes testimonies from dancers and others who fled 7M Films and are now working to dismantle the organisation from the outside.
“This series is about exposing the wrongdoers and setting the story straight,” executive producer Jessica Acevedo said.
“All with the hope of helping those still under the control of the church.”
7M Films, initially founded as a secular management company, is allegedly treated by its CEO, Robert Shinn, as an extension of Shekinah Church, over which he has presided for decades.
Several former dancers claim that Shinn exercised extreme control over them. They claim he dictated everything from their dance routines to financial decisions and required them to turn over a large portion of their earnings to the church.
Dancers were allegedly encouraged to sever ties with family and loved ones outside of 7M and Shekinaha.
The documentary captured raw, emotional moments of families desperately trying to reconnect with loved ones within the church.
In addition to Miranda Derrick (formerly Wilking), other high-profile viral dancers involved with 7M include her husband, James “BDash” Derrick, and Nick “Raino” Raiano.
Aubrey Fisher-Greene, Kevin “Konkrete” Davis, Kailea Gray, and Kylie Douglas are among those who have left 7M.
Douglas told Netflix: “For all of us dancers who left, it’s different to go from leaning on someone for approval for things and seeking their guidance on everything you’re doing to ‘OK, now it’s just up to me; I’m making all the decisions again,’ ”
She likened life outside the alleged cult to “relearning how to be you again.”
The series revealed Shinn’s sect has been attracting devotees since the 1990s, first through the Shekinah, and now through 7M.
The series producers said former Shekinah members joined the project midway through filming.
Doneen said the Korean sisters Melanie and Priscylla Lee had alarmingly similar experiences to the Wilkings but with far more significant and prolonged exposure.
“They were in Shekinah for decades,” he said, adding they “represent the earlier generation” of the sect.
According to Dondeen, the documentary’s scope broadened organically as shooting progressed, even uncovering new storylines and lines of inquiry into Shinn.
“When we started, we didn’t even know about the [original] Shekinah group, which included the Lee sisters,” he explained.
Acevedo added, “We learned about Melanie Lee in real-time.
“There was so much information being reported that we had an Excel sheet with all the names of people tied to the church from the earlier years to today.”
Miranda remains with 7M and recently issued a public statement vehemently denying that she is in a cult.
“I am not held against my will, and I’ve never been a hostage,” she said
“I go to church, and I have faith in God. If one day I wish to pursue my faith elsewhere, I will and feel completely free to do that.
“As far as my career, my time at 7M Films has been one of the most exciting years ever, and if one day I wish to partner with a different management company or start my own company, I will.”
Miranda has shared multiple family photos on Instagram, including a recent photo from Melanie’s wedding, a Mother’s Day 2024 video with her mum, and another video of her dancing with her mother and sister in April.
The docu-series alleges that these posts are mainly for show and that Miranda is still close to Shinn.
During the documentary, Melanie described her fleeting recent interactions with Miranda as “superficial,” orchestrated for her sister’s social media presence.
She mentioned that although they are allegedly estranged, the family members cherish whatever contact they can get.
In response to the family’s 2021 Instagram plea to reconnect with Miranda, a 7M spokesperson told the Daily Beast: “Miranda Derrick is a successful businesswoman and a loving wife and daughter who cares very much about her family.”
“While the recent portrayals of Dr Robert Shinn and 7M Films have been wildly offensive and riddled with inaccuracies, those false claims will not deter 7M from supporting Miranda in whichever endeavours she chooses to pursue next.”
Originally published as Wild Netflix doco, Dancing For The Devil, exposes alleged ‘TikTok cult’
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