Kendall Vertes and her mom Jill caused quite a stir when they joined "Dance Moms" in Season 2, as they came in with a reputation as "studio hoppers." But over the years the two became accepted as part of the group. Today, Vertes is an accomplished dancer, singer, and actor, and despite how she feels about Abby Lee Miller, she has acknowledged that her former dance instructor played a pivotal role in her career.
Speaking on the "Off-Schedule" podcast, the dancer explained, "I have nothing but respect for Abby. She got me obviously to where I am today." However, she also divulged details about the emotional abuse she faced behind the scenes. "We were 8, 9 years old and she would tell us we were fat, washed up, ugly, shouldn't be here, we're too privileged, we're not swift ... she would just say things that little kids didn't even know how to comprehend," Vertes shared.
The dancer also added that the show's producers actually made Miller appear nicer than she actually was, a sentiment that her mom echoed in a Studio 10 interview. "People think that it's gotta be for the cameras, and it's not," Jill Vertes said. "It's really who she is ... you guys will all attest she would be worse when the cameras weren't around because she really doesn't want everybody to hate her."
