Nia Sioux Reveals the Truth About Her Fallout with Abby Lee Miller in New Memoir, "Bottom of the Pyramid "(Exclusive) Tanisha BhatOctober 31, 2025 at 9:50 PM 0 Courtesy of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus; Grace Bukunmi Nia Sioux and her new book "Bottom of the Pyramid." Nia Sioux's new memoir, Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life, details the truth behind her experience filming the hit reality TV show, Dance Moms In the memoir, Sioux discusses how she and her mother were cast, her time on the show and where she stands...
- - Nia Sioux Reveals the Truth About Her Fallout with Abby Lee Miller in New Memoir, "Bottom of the Pyramid "(Exclusive)
Tanisha BhatOctober 31, 2025 at 9:50 PM
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Courtesy of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus; Grace Bukunmi
Nia Sioux and her new book "Bottom of the Pyramid." -
Nia Sioux's new memoir, Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life, details the truth behind her experience filming the hit reality TV show, Dance Moms
In the memoir, Sioux discusses how she and her mother were cast, her time on the show and where she stands with her former dance teacher, Abby Lee Miller, now
Read an exclusive excerpt from the book below
Nia Sioux is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look about her experience filming Lifetime's hit reality TV show, Dance Moms.
PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at Sioux's new memoir, Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life, which releases on Nov. 4.
Sioux, now 24, starred on the show for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017 under the tutelage of dance instructor Abby Lee Miller, who was known for her "tough love" attitude with her students. Sioux was 9 when the show started filming and turned 15 when she filmed her last episode.
The actress and singer spoke to PEOPLE back in May to announce her memoir. She said at the time that being the only Black dancer for a majority of the show "had lasting effects" on her and that there are certain aspects that she hasn't opened up about publicly or to her fellow cast members.
"That is something that is part of my story and my journey. A lot of girls of color have been through these sorts of experiences," she said. "I had to really dissect each kind part of my life, because that was shown on the show, but it wasn't highlighted. And that is something that is part of my story, that's part of my journey."
Here, in an exclusive excerpt shared with PEOPLE, Sioux looks back on her time on Dance Moms, the show's lasting impact on pop culture and reveals where her relationship with Miller, 60, currently stands.
Miller has not replied to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Courtesy of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus
Nia Sioux's new book "Bottom of the Pyramid."
I remember a lot of details from my time on Dance Moms. Those were my formative years. They shaped who I am and how I see the world. I interact with people now based on my experiences on the show. Yet as much as I do remember, there are things I have blocked out. Video clips, especially old clips of myself, can trigger unwanted memories. Writing this book forced me to confront some of those. Sorting through the avalanche of emotions took time, and sometimes I needed to step away from my writing, giving myself space to process the feelings.
I marvel at the little girl I used to be. I also marvel at the adults who put her down. Their patterns of continued behavior and verbal vitriol reveal an ugly side to them that I now recognize as an adult. I have the language and understanding of who they truly are and why it was necessary to establish boundaries. I reject the excuse that we were only making a TV show.
During the pandemic, Dance Moms had a bit of a revival. A whole new generation was being introduced to the show. Viewers who were not even alive when the show first aired were now watching it. Sound bites from Dance Moms became popular on TikTok. There are billions of hits on the app with Dance Moms hashtags. The cast of Dance Moms was always ready to share their experiences and speak into trending topics. I also discovered that there was a cable channel playing Dance Moms nonstop.
The show continues to be incredibly popular despite its controversial elements. Those who grew up watching it now see the show through a different lens. Moments that were originally seen as funny are now considered problematic. Punch lines and story- lines are criticized for their racial undertones. Some of the stuff that people used to laugh at is hard to watch. The humor is lost. Yet the show is still filled with magical moments. It is a gem and a force of pop culture that can't be denied. And I was a key part of it. But at what price?
Lifetime; Barbara Nitke/Lifetime
Nia Sioux and Abby Lee Miller on "Dance Moms."
Abby's cancer diagnosis in 2018 sent me into a tailspin of emotions. As much as she'd put me through on and off the show, I never would wish cancer on my worst enemy. She was in and out of the hospital for a while battling the disease.
We had left the ALDC not on the best of terms. It was the right decision, and I have no regrets. However, our abrupt departure left me with no closure from the dance studio I had called home since the age of three. For a decade I danced for Abby, and then one day that was no longer the case.
During the same time Abby was diagnosed with cancer, my acting coach suddenly died from a stroke. I had worked with him for years, and he was instrumental to my growth as an actor. He died right before I booked The Bold and the Beautiful. I never had the chance to tell him about booking the role or to thank him for everything he did to get me to that place. It happened fast, and I was left unprepared. On the heels of his death, I heard about Abby's illness, and I did not want the same thing to happen with her. I didn't have a speech prepared, but I wanted to talk to her and let her know how I felt now that I was working in LA. I asked my mom to reach out to see if we could visit Abby. Since we had left the studio under tense circumstances, she contacted Bryan Stinson about helping to coordinate a visit. My mom made it clear that she did not want this visit filmed.
After waiting for some time with no response regarding my checking in on her, Mom eventually shared with me that Abby had denied our hospital visit request—and on my birthday, at that. When I saw the text Abby sent as her response, it was everything I needed to hear to move forward.
In denying our request for a visit, Abby said she'd already heard everything I would have to say from my IG live. She said she was so very proud that I had a script to follow and that she needed to get back to cleaning out her closet, literally and figuratively. Abby then wrote that perhaps Mom was a parent who always thought their child did no wrong and that she wouldn't know because she never saw Mom around me much. If that wasn't enough for me to move on, she concluded by taking credit for getting me out of Pittsburgh, that every penny in my pocket was because of her, and that Mom and I should be grateful to her for not having to shop in thrift stores.
I will never reach out to Abby Lee Miller again. I try my best not to fill my heart with hate, but as far as I'm concerned, she no longer exists in my world, and I like it that way. I wish her no harm; I just want her out of my life. I've even ended relationships with people who keep in contact with her; it's a boundary I've had to set so I can heal.
To be honest, I didn't even want to use her name in this book; just saying it makes me feel like I'm giving her power in my life that she doesn't deserve. But as much as I didn't want to give her attention by naming her, I also didn't want her to be able to hide from the way she treated me. I needed to be explicitly clear about the pain she caused me.
But one thing is for sure: No matter what, I will always remain true to myself and not allow anyone's cruelty or misery to get the best of me. It was on my heart to reach out, and that's what I did. I can only control myself; I cannot control the actions of others.
As for what she said about me, my best response is to continue living in a state of "Don't let anyone steal your joy." I see my joy as an act of resistance. It was the one thing Abby could never control, and that seemed to infuriate her. I think she truly believed that I did not know my place—that she had the right to dictate who got what opportunities and experiences, and by pursuing more for myself, I was ungrateful.
Taken from Bottom of the Pyramid by Nia Sioux. Copyright © 2025 by Nia Sioux. Used by permission of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus, LLC. https://ift.tt/TJ8qhap
Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life comes out on Nov. 4.
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Published: October 31, 2025 at 11:45PM on Source: VOXI MAG
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