A recently released Netflix documentary explores an alleged cult involving TikTok dancers.
Melanie and Miranda formerly danced together as the Wilking Sisters, but the family claims that Derrick has vanished from their lives. Despite this, Melanie continued to live in the spotlight, even announcing her marriage to fellow dancer James Derrick, known as BDash.
At the time, it's doubtful that Derrick's vast following would have noticed any issue, thanks to her active social media presence. She frequently shared bright, polished videos of modern dance routines and throwback hits alongside BDash and a select group of dancers and content creators. Melanie also walked the red carpet at the American Music Awards in November 2021 and appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show just days before her family shared their video tribute.
However, reports from multiple publications, such as The Cut and Rolling Stone, coupled with an ongoing lawsuit, and now, a Netflix documentary, have brought disturbing accusations about the mysterious religious organization the Derricks became a part of. This organization was alleged to be a talent management firm called 7M Films.
In this three-part docuseries, "Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult", members of the Wilking family team up with a few former dancers represented by 7M Films - who are engaged in a civil lawsuit with its co-owner and CEO, Robert Shinn - to open up about their experiences. Among these dancers are Kevin "Konkrete" Davis, who was famous in the dance community alongside BDash, Aubrey Fisher, and Kylie Douglas. Davis, Fisher, and Douglas collaborated with the Derricks often, producing dance videos, and had accumulated millions of combined followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Shinn, an LA pastor, reportedly started Shekinah Church as a religious community for Korean Americans and later founded 7M as a subsidiary enterprise for internet-famous dancers. According to the series, Shekinah and 7M Films were closely connected. Dancers seeking fame and riches in addition to spiritual salvation were lured into the group.
Churchgoers' testimonies, recordings of Shinn's sermons, and first-hand accounts reveal that Shinn requested members to disassociate from their families in order to save their loved ones in the afterlife. However, Melanie noticed red flags at a dinner hosted by Shinn alongside her sister and chose not to join his secretive church services.
"Dancing for the Devil" director, Derek Doneen, spoke about the documentary's premise in a video interview with CNN. "It was an opportunity to tell a story in real time - an ongoing story that was still unfolding before our eyes," he said. "Many of the people we ended up interviewing were not sure that they'd ever have the chance to meet and share their experiences."
Sisterly bonds, fractured families
The docuseries tells the parallel stories of two pairs of sisters who were apparently separated by Shinn's organizations: the Wilking sisters and the Lee siblings. Melanie and Priscylla Lee joined the church in 1999 as young immigrants and built their lives around it. They lost contact for years when Melanie left the church, with the help of a friend, and Priscylla remained.
Executive producer Jessica Acevedo said, "It was so heartening to see Melanie come forward. I felt a great deal of respect for her courage and faith in us." Initially hesitant, Melanie agreed to share her story because she was worried about her sister, who was still a member at the time. Gradually, Priscylla too left the church and was able to share her experiences.
The Shinn family and the Derricks refused to participate in the show. Miranda insists on social media, "I am not in a cult." BDash described 7M as a "secular for-profit company responsible for managing/controlling our bookings or schedules." He also raised questions about the nature of the religious connection. "Is it wrong for Christians to be involved in a secular entertainment business?" he questioned. "If 7M was run by non-believers, would it no longer be a cult?"
The Derricks and a lawyer for the Shinns did not reply to CNN's request for comment.
The Derricks have previously disputed allegations that Miranda is being kept away from her family, instead portraying the situation as a personal family disagreement. In 2022, a lawyer for 7M Films told Rolling Stone, "It's pathetic and contemptible to try to turn her private family matters into a tawdry public scandal just for clicks and attention."
In 2022, Shinn filed a lawsuit against several former church members, including the Lee sisters. The suit claimed that the defendants made "false statements" about Shinn's organizations being a cult and launched a campaign to "cancel" Shinn through "defamatory attacks" on social media. The following year, Davis, Fisher, and Douglas, among others, joined a cross-complaint with the former church members against Shinn, his wife, their companies, and other associated individuals. The accusations include fraud, forced labor, human trafficking, and Robert's sexual battery. The trial is scheduled for July 2025 in Los Angeles; no criminal charges have been filed thus far.
Today, Derrick is reconnecting with her family and occasionally posting about their family gatherings on her social media accounts, according to the series. However, the series alleges that this is primarily for appearances, and Derrick still has a close relationship with Shinn. Derrick did not respond to CNN's request for comment on this claim.
For individuals who choose to leave Shinn's organizations, the filmmakers discovered that it is a difficult process, as they follow Priscylla's journey to adjust to life outside of the church and her quest for justice.
"You don't leave fully healed; you don't necessarily disavow many of the teachings," Doneen said. "That was a learning curve for me to comprehend. As soon as you're out, it's the start of a lengthy recovery process."
The series "Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult" is available on Netflix on May 29.
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Melanie's modern dance routines and throwback hits on social media showcased her unique style in the arts.Despite the allegations against 7M Films, Davis, Fisher, and Douglas continue to collaborate and accumulate followers on TikTok and Instagram, leveraging their artistic talents and popular style.
Source: edition.cnn.com
