With so much of the story playing out on social media, viewers are naturally curious as to whether dancer Miranda Derrick, one of the subjects of Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, Netflix’s latest (reportedly) cult docuseries, is still part of the shady group that—according to her family—brainwashed her with religion. (Derrick, to put it mildly, disagrees with that assessment.)
While we’re not sure exactly when filming on the series wrapped, it seems that some progress has been made between then and May 29, the date of the docuseries was released.
Here’s everything we know about where Miranda and the Wilking family are now, plus the current state of 7M Films and the Shekinah church.
When did Miranda Derrick join 7M?
It’s unclear exactly when Miranda signed on to 7M management, which was founded in 2021, but as far as the church goes, it was a process.
Miranda received her first DM from James “BDash” Derrick, now her husband, in April 2019. They collaborated on a dance video and then started a relationship. It was through Derrick’s videographer, Isaiah Shinn, that both James and Miranda became affiliated with Shekinah Church, which was founded by Isaiah’s father, Robert Shinn.
During the 2020 pandemic, the couple spent time with the Wilkings in Michigan, which seemingly went well. When they got back to LA, however, Miranda’s sister, Melanie, noticed that Miranda was spending more time at the church.
The first alarm bells started to go off in January 2021, when Miranda did not attend her grandfather’s funeral, saying that she needed permission from “someone closer to God” to fly home to Michigan from LA. She and James got engaged that year, and they married without any of her family present.
What are the allegations against 7M founder Robert Shinn?
Shinn is the founder of 7M Films, a management company that has recruited a number of TikTok-famous dancers, many of whom were vulnerable aspiring artists with little guidance or windfall who had moved to LA to pursue their dreams. According to former 7M dancers, they ended up giving Shinn the majority of their income via tithes and fees, and cut off contact with their outside friends and family. They also attended long, late-night Bible study sessions. Some of the 7M dancers also moved into properties owned by Shinn. These are hallmarks of a high-control group. (And no, it’s not normal to sign an NDA in a church.)
Longtime members of Shekinah have also made allegations of sexual abuse by Shinn.
The filmmakers pointed out in their interview with Glamour that dancers were not the only victims of this group, and that there have been former members without large social media followings whose stories deserve to be told as well.
What has Miranda said about her time at 7M and Shekinah Church?
After the Wilking family went public with its worries about 7M in February 2022 via Instagram Live, Miranda Derrick released a statement to The Cut, telling the outlet in May 2022, “I am not held against my will and I’ve never been a hostage. I go to church and I have faith in God. If one day I wish to pursue my faith elsewhere, I will and feel completely free to do that. As far as my career, my time at 7M Films has been one of the most exciting years ever and if one day I wish to partner with a different management company or start my own company, I will. No one is forcing me to do anything.”
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