Starting her sentence. Abby Lee Miller reported to prison on Wednesday, July 12, in Victorville, California, to serve her 366 days behind bars.
The former Dance Moms star, 50, was seen arriving to FCI Victorville, near her home in San Bernardino. She made her way into the correctional facility around noon, two hours ahead of her deadline.
The Abby Lee Dance Company owner was sentenced in May for bankruptcy fraud and bringing $120,00 worth of Australian currency into the United States without reporting it. She was also ordered to two years of supervised release and fined $40,000 along with a $120,000 judgment.
The TV personality exclusively told Us Weekly in May that she’s not prepared for her prison sentence. “It’s surreal! I keep thinking someone’s gonna call and say, ‘Oh, it was a mistake!’” she told Us at the time. “I’m not out taking karate. I’m not in a self-defense class, though, maybe I should be.”
After she completes her time in prison, Miller wants to get right back to work. “I hope to come out and have a new TV show, a scripted show that I’ve created,” she told Us. “And it’s kind of, you know, a teenage show where Dance Moms leaves off, what should happen next because I know what should happen next.”
The dance instructor claimed that Lifetime prohibited her from accepting any news gigs since she was indicted in 2015 on 20 counts of bankruptcy fraud, concealment of bankruptcy assets and false bankruptcy declarations. “I’ve been offered some other jobs, but they’re on camera. And, according to Lifetime, I can’t be on camera with any other network but theirs,” she added. “I let people screw me over right and left. [I’m] not a criminal mastermind.”
Since Miller exited Dance Moms in March, Lifetime has announced Cheryl Burke will be taking over as the show’s lead. The former Dancing With the Stars pro, 33, told Us Weekly that the young dancers were upset about their former dance teacher going to prison, but the moms weren’t bothered by it. “We wrapped a couple of weeks ago, but I think the girls are trying to focus on them[selves],” she told Us in May. “I know the moms are not sad about it!”
A source revealed to Us in May that Miller’s former Dance Moms costars have not been supportive. “In general the cast and crew of Dance Moms aren’t at all sad that Abby was sentenced. Many think she deserves it. They do not like Abby,” the insider tells Us. “Many actually think she deserves a bigger sentence.”