Fifty-two-year-old dance instructor Abby Lee Miller has had a rough few years. After she was charged with bankruptcy fraud, she was sentenced to jail. Less than a year later, she was rushed into emergency surgery for what doctors first thought was a spinal infection. They soon found that she was facing a condition far worse than expected and diagnosed her with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to Radar Online .
Since her official diagnosis last April, she has faced chemotherapy treatments, surgeries, and spinal taps. The former star of Dance Moms has been wheelchair bound for months, unable to stand without assistance. In addition, her recent treatments have been largely unsuccessful, leaving fans concerned about whether or not she will ever be able to dance again. As her health crisis worsens, Miller has been getting her affairs in order. She’s recently been putting the finishing touches on her will, requesting that most of her possessions be awarded to her long-time assistant, Gianna Martello.
Martello met Abby Lee Miller when she was young and received dancing instructions from her. She later became one of Miller’s most prized teachers, appearing frequently on Dance Moms .
“Gia is getting the studio,” an insider claimed. “She’s basically the kid Abby never had. Gia will get most of what she has to carry on her legacy. She is giving her money mostly to Gia and some friends back home.” Prior to her incarceration, Miller founded two dance studios, one in Pittsburgh and one in Los Angeles. She hardly had enough time to get the Los Angeles studio up and running before her financial crisis came to a head.
Despite her ongoing cancer battle, Miller still plans to return to Dance Moms , and is expected to appear in the next season. She will be going against her doctor’s orders, determined to carry on her legacy of dance for as long as possible. She has been promoting the upcoming season on social media from her hospital bed.
“These kids still have to earn their Official #ALDC jackets! I wonder who will live up to the legacy and survive the bitter Pgh cold to make the final cut? Don’t you? #dancemoms #abbyleemiller,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a caption of a trailer for the next season.
A team of fresh new faces will be joining the competition team for Season 8, many of which viewers have yet to meet. It is not yet clear how many of the show’s veterans will make an appearance.
