‘Dance Moms’ Abby Lee Miller Successfully Undergoes Weight Loss Surgery

Abby Lee Miller may have been in the headlines recently for a variety of reasons, including her impending May 8 sentencing for fraud, but last Friday she took a major step to self-improvement: having gastric sleeve surgery to help her lose weight. The gastric sleeve surgery will remove 80 percent of her stomach.

The Dance Moms alum opened up to Entertainment Tonight, breaking down in tears before the big day. She stated that she felt like she was all alone and that no one would be upset or freaked out if something happened to her under the knife.

“There’s nobody freaking out if something happens to me. I’m scared, I’m nervous,” she said tearfully.

Many fans of the show Dance Moms had no sympathy for Abby Lee Miller, saying that she had brought this on herself. If she had been nicer to those she had worked with, they said, she might have had more of a chance to have people being there for her.

Abby Lee Miller has been criticized by the media as well as the other mothers on Dance Moms for the way she treats the children on the show. Maddie Ziegler, former dancer on her team, recently penned a book called The Maddie Diaries where she spoke out about the stress the show, and Abby, caused her.

She recently opened up to People about the issues she faced.

“I learned a lot of lessons. I had the craziest time when I was with [Abby Lee Miller] and on that team. I’m really glad that I did move on from that, and I did learn a lot from her and we did have some fun times. But I feel like now, I’ve never been happier in my life,” she revealed.

Maddie Ziegler also stated in her book that dancing with Abby Lee Miller caused her to bite her nails to the quick because she was so stressed, a habit fans can see when they watch the series.

Chloe Lukasiak, a fan favorite of Dance Moms, also opened up to People about her struggles with the series and Abby Lee Miller herself.

“Looking back, my time on Dance Moms seems like a whirlwind of dancing …but also fighting. The parents were always fighting — with one another, with Abby. Anyone who’s watched the show knows about these fights. In any case, after the first season, we girls learned to make the most of the situation. Obviously, the show was high-stress and intense. Obviously, there was conflict. But we decided to ignore the bad; instead of listening to the fighting, we figured, ‘let’s just go have fun!” she said.

Despite Abby Lee Miller’s worry that something might happen to her under the knife, the reality TV star came out of the other side just fine. According to her Instagram, she even had a friend come visit her while she was in the hospital recovering, so she definitely wasn’t completely alone during her ordeal.

The Dance Moms star has struggled with her weight for many years. Although she has lost a considerable amount since the beginning of the show, she is still markedly overweight and the surgery will hopefully help her be happier and healthier.

Abby Lee Miller will be facing sentencing for her fraud charges on May 8, where she will be notified if hiding $800,000 from the federal government will lead her to to spend as many as 30 months behind bars. While parole is more likely, if she does go behind bars, the Dance Moms alum will, no doubt, be out of the public eye for quite a while–and will clearly come back transformed physically.

[Featured Image by Tasia Wells/Stringer/Getty Images]