Professional dancer Miranda Derrick is sharing her side of the story after her life was featured in Netflix’s docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult.
Released on May 29, Dancing for the Devil follows an alleged Los Angeles–based cult run by Robert Shinn, a pastor at Shekinah Church and the founder of 7M Films management. In video recordings from church services included in the docuseries, Shinn can allegedly be seen influencing Shekinah Church members and 7M clients to cut ties with family members who do not belong to the organization. He’s also accused of taking financial advantage of his clients, in some instances allegedly suggesting that they donate up to 70% of their earnings to Shinn and Shekinah. Shinn is also accused of sexual assault by multiple women in the documentary, allegations he has previously denied.
Miranda Derrick, née Wilking, has been a member of the church since 2020. She and her husband, James Derrick, have been linked since 2021 and are managed by 7M. Prior to Derrick’s involvement with 7M, she and her sister, Melanie Wilking, were rising social media dance influencers, sharing the handle @WilkingSisters and amassing over 3.1 million followers on TikTok. In the docuseries, Derrick’s parents and sister claim that Miranda cut ties with her family after getting involved with Shinn and 7M. An Instagram Live video from February 2022 featured in the film shows Derrick’s family alleging that Miranda has become a victim of a cult, and sharing they had no idea she got engaged to James Derrick in 2021. After the Wilkings posted their video, other families came forward raising allegations against Shinn, 7M, and Shekinah church.
Derrick, however, steadfastly maintains that she’s not in a cult. In an Instagram Story posted on Tuesday June 4 and reported by People, Derrick calls the three-part Netflix docuseries “one-sided” and claims that “not a victim,” “not in any harm,” and “not being abused.”
“I want to start by saying that I appreciate the concern that has been expressed for my well-being. Due to pending litigation, in which I am a plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit, it’s not appropriate for me to comment on specific allegations. Though I will state that I do not condone abuse in any way,” writes Derrick.
She goes on to address concerns her parents and sister have brought up both on Instagram and in Dancing for the Devil. “I love my Mom, Dad and Melanie and they will forever be a part of my life. The truth is, we just don’t see eye to eye at this time. I believe that this documentary is a one-sided story,” says Derrick. “I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 2020 and asked my family for some space in the very beginning to collect my thoughts and process my new walk I wanted to take with God.”
“My family didn’t honor the space I asked for, and I saw a different side of them I’ve never seen before,” she continues. “Honestly, it made me mad, frustrated and annoyed that they were being so overbearing and chaotic.”
She goes on to say that her sister Melanie locked her out of their joint social media accounts, forcing her to start her own account and pursue her own career separate from her sister. That said, Derrick also adds that she’s been working on reconciling with her family. “I have been getting together with them over the past couple years to make amends, move on and work things out as a family,” she writes. “This documentary has created a further challenge between us as I work to overcome this public attack.”