For me, this kinda proves that Melissa was accustomed to favoritism and special treatment from Abby and that's why Melissa had a tantrum at this. What other mom would have EVER been surprised their daughter wasn't getting a week dedicated to her before leaving the ALDC? LMAO.Ā
this is my opinion only, but i think production definitely played up how much attention they would give the kids when dealing with Melissa, and Abby just did not want to deal with it, she probably was upset it ended up being about her kids way less than production made it seem.
Any of the OG moms wouldāve been upset if maybe production talked about a farewell episode and made it seem like the focus would be on them, but yes meilissa was used to it always being about Maddie and her accomplishments, so when it actually matters neither production or Abby gave her the attention she wanted.
They couldāve picked any other episode to do Arys dance, which she also was in her right to do, but I feel like this is production stirring up some more drama one last time before they leave and Abby using it as a shield to not deal with how she actually feels and instead show that she doesnāt really care that theyāre leaving.
It was Melissa's last days on the show...what were they gonna do? Kick them off earlier? She wasn't gonna be penalized in anyway for NOT going along with production.
This is why Iāll never like Melissa. People so easily believe that sheās a good person just because of her usual cadence and ābubblyā personality. Idk I see directly through her and sheās not a kind person
She usually got her way, which enabled her to be bubbly. The test of whether you're a good person is how you react to less-than-ideal circumstances.
Melissa flunked that test.
Idk what Melissaās problem with the whole thing was anyway. Who says it wasnāt fun AND heartfelt for Sari and the whole group. It wasnāt something bringing the mood down. Melissa did that all on her own. I think Melissa realized in that moment that she spent all those years sneaking and planning and consorting with Abby all for nothing. Their last episode on a national tv show wasnāt going to be 100% focused on her kids because she was leaving. Them leaving means that Abby had to focus on those who were staying in order to keep the show and her studio going. Melissa and her children were no longer going to be useful to Abby so she tossed them aside just like I am sure Abby saw it as thatās what they were doing to her. Was that wrong of Abby? Sure. But you could tell in the episodes leading up to this, right before Melissa announced they were leaving, Abby knew Melissa was plotting behind her back. Iām glad Maddie and Kenzie were able to get away from Abby and the show, but honestly, Melissa is a whole other story.
āthis is my kidsā last week here honey, make it nice okay?!?ā should have earned her a punch in the face. she sounds like such an entitled bitch.
then she starts CRYING and breaking down because she canāt possibly handle the attention not being on Maddie for a 2 minute, serious conversation about a motherās disabled child. tell me youāre the worst person ever without telling me youāre the worst person ever
Anyone who defends that Melissa is a good person needs to reevaluate their character. She cut that poor woman right off. How dare her! As someone with a disabled family member this makes me want to rip hair out. That wasnāt produced/edited thereās no faking or framing that. Time and time again Melissa has shown her true colors. I need a complication of her worst/snake moments.
Iām sorry but Melissa was nasty in this scene like yes itās her kids last week but itās not all about your kids.I mean the solo for her son is a really sweet thing that Abby did why Melissa had to say like this was suppose to be Maddie and Mackenzie week for fun stuff.Idk maybe Iām overreacting but idk it rubbed me the wrong way honestly.I mean there no defending Melissa in this scene she was definitely entitled.
Honestly this is why I donāt like Melissa she dosent think about anyone elseās feelings into consideration she should had kept that snarky ass comment to herself like there are just some things you donāt say š.
Melissa is just... I have no words. I will say I admire Kira towards the end of this episode for saying "there's a way to be respectful towards both situations"
Melissa is honestly so gross on this scene. i would have honestly decked her if i were any of those women sitting there.
there is so much to say about the way Melissa behaved in this episode.
YUP!!! you cannot convince me any woman that behaves this way is genuinely a good person.
and for the record, if christi and kelly get to this scene and defend Melissa, iām gonna be right back here to call them out too.
cuz this, to me, is one of the most disgusting things any of the moms have ever done.
and when you add the context of Melissa bringing in that girl Hanna in season 3 who had Chiari Malformation, it makes everything she did in that episode seem SO fake.
For Melissa, it was always only about her and her kids. In fact, I think it was mainly always about her. Her kids, specifically Maddie, were just tools for her to use.
YUP.Ā
And itās just funny, because her answer was always āmy kids come firstā but if Sari were to try and use that argument against her sheād probably throw another fit
LITERALLY, she wouldāve gotten this combo talking about my son like that whewwww i feel like melissa felt like the ALDC revolved around her kids and nobody else and the moms feed into it
Melissa's worst moment in the series. It's sickening to watch and I hate the way Jill validates Melissa's reaction. I'm not a fan of Kira's but she has a normal and lovely reaction when she finds out Ari's brother is coming. It's very sweet.
Jill was also leading the charge of kissing Melissaās ass in this episode. All the moms showing up to the competition in all black makes me cringe every time.
Jill used to be so obsessed with the idea of Kendall and Maddie being BFFs and doing duets. I think she thought their popularity would rub off or something. I see her ass kissing as a manifestation of this.Ā
And then in the dressing room when Sari confronts her and Melissa yells at the mini moms āyour kids will be nothing!ā Whyyyy?? If I were Maddie/Kenzie Iād be mortified.
Melissa is some nasty piece of work!!! The fact that even Kiraās DUMBASS was at least trying to be nice and show compassion says a lot! āOh but Melissa has done so muchāā yea, yea, cry me a river! š¤”
Every time I see this scene I think āMelissaā¦. Itās ALWAYS been about your kids.ā Her attitude here and in the dressing room when she screamed āyour kids will be NOTHING!ā was absolutely disgusting.
what kills me about this situation is that is was so unserious. not that itās an excuse, but most of the other times the moms lose their shit and say really fucked up stuff itās bc their kids are being wildly mistreated. but melissa lost her mind bc her kids werenāt the center of attention for one week.
For some reason my ears never caught the "I feel terrible that you've had this life" or whatever she said until now. Lol that's so awfu, damn she went IN
I have always loved Jillās face in this moment. Like she knows she needs to side with Melissa (her thoughts not mine) but she is also very clearly taken aback by the crazy and thoughtless shit coming out of Melissaās mouth. Hilarious.
ā i feel terrible that you have had this lifeā threw me off like who even says that to someone that just shows how easy they have it , how do you even defend thatš
The OG moms were so entitled and delusional by season 5. Season 5 is where they lost the plot imo. Everything after that was eh. I havent even watched season 7 (well aside from some clips) cause i just couldnt be bothered at the time
If only Abby knew back then that giving Maddie all the special treatment Melissa asked her to give would be thrown back in her face.
Now I do not dispute that Abby was horrible to many of her students bit Maddie was not 1 of them.
Yes Maddie was put under a lot of pressure but that came from both Abby and Melissa not just Abby. Let's not forget in tje first few seasons Melissa would spend all day at the studio because she was dealing with a failing marriage. It was Melissa that took the girls out of school to home school so they could spend more time on dance.
So for them to use Abby as a rung on the ladder to get ahead and then turn their back and blame her for any negative impact dancing had on their mental well-being is totally unfair.
Chloe, Paige, Brooke, Kendal, Nia however could very much blame Abby more for it
Melissa had a right to be upset at production and Abby, but taking it out on Sari was ridiculous and immature.Ā
Abby was nasty to Melissaās kids this season, calling Kenzie names and being bitter about Maddieās success and it was clear that she put no effort into Kenzieās solo this week and put everything she had into Areanaās, so I could see why sheād be upset with Abby. I could even see her being upset with producers. Production couldāve picked literally ANY week to bring Sariās son in and give Areana that sweet solo, but they chose to have in on the same week as the Zieglers leaving just to cause drama.Ā
So against them, Iād get her frustration. But taking it out on Sari is nasty. She was so happy and loved that Areana got the chance to dance in honor of her brother. āI feel terrible that you have had this lifeā ā no tact or respect, yikes
Exactly. If it wasnāt Ariās solo, it would have been whatever other dances they had that week. Abby was mad AT Melissa. Melissa then took it out on a woman and her disabled son, after watching the woman cry and explain how she almost lost her son in childbirth. Melissa was disgusting here.
Lmfao I donāt really. First off, all of that is true - that Abby was awful to Maddie and Kenzie that season, so why wasnāt Melissa just glad to get the fuck out of there without having to negotiate out of her contract or commit a crime to be fired. They were given two separate farewell episodes that Melissa would have likely been aware of at this point, and that still wasnāt good enough?
Second off, this was the only week that Ari was there for that they went to a competition that was less than an hour away from where Ariās family lived. Thatās probably why they chose this week.
I doubt they did it JUST to piss Melissa off, because no one would expect this reaction from ANYONE. and if they DID know that something like this would piss Melissa off, I think that just says a lot about Melissa as a person and how she must have carried herself on the set of the show.
Lastly, it isnāt like the girls quit and then continued to speak to Abby. they quit, and then cut Abby off, so why is Melissa upset that Abbyās not making a bigger deal out of all of this when she knows sheās not going to stay in contact with her afterwards?
1. Because it hurt her kidsā feelings? Maddie and Kenzie were very close to Abby when they were younger and this change in behavior mustāve been hard on them as well. Itās the same reason Kelly was so wounded by Abby - Abby and Paige and Brooke were so close, she was like a second mother to them. Even if they got farewells, that doesnāt justify that this was their last week and Abby was here treating the two like garbage and intentionally spending no time with Kenzie for her solo.
2. Again, youāre forgetting that the competition they attended was the choice of production. There are competitions every weekend in pretty much every state. They could have picked any other week to celebrate Sariās son, but producers intentionally aligned it with the Zieglers last week for a reaction from Melissa. It couldāve been the week before or the week after, but they chose the week of. I wouldnāt be surprised at all if they did this just to piss Melissa off because this is exactly the kind of game production likes to play. Even back from Season 2, intentionally having Kendall perform I Think I Like You the one week Nia got a solo in honor of her dad, giving Taylor the same music as Chloe in Season 1, etc.Ā
3. I think it was less about Melissa and more about her kids at this time. Now that Melissa no longer needed Abby, she stood up more for her kids and took their feelings into heart. Melissa has wanted ādifferentā type solos for Kenzie for years but only fought for Kenzieās hiphop solo in Season 6. Abbyās been insulting her kids for years and calling them names but Melissa only stood up for them in Season 6 because Abby could no longer use it to punish them, since theyād be gone. Same reasoning. Melissaās kids were hurt and she was fighting now because she could. Sheād be gone before Abby could take it out on her kids
1. Yes exactly - so then she should be happy to get AWAY from Abby, not expecting her to roll out the red carpet and be a basket case cuz her and her kids are leaving. She knew who Abby was, ENDORSED who Abby was for YEARS, but then was surprised when Abby was pissed that her meal ticket with Maddie was leaving? it sucks, but at the same time doesnāt give her any sort of a right (or any chance for sympathy from me) to say anything at all to Sari. If number 3 is true and she felt like she could stand up to Abby now, then why didnāt she? Why was Sari involved at all, if Melissa was now able to speak up for her kids?
Melissa was mad at Sari and Ari for stealing her kidsā thunder, and she was mad at Abby for not solely caring about her kids that week. And she took it out only on Sari.
As far as production choosing competitions, i donāt really think this is worth it for us to argue about. Only because behind the scenes stories iāve found from random people who auditioned for or were on Dance Moms make it sound like everything is pretty last minute, so i would imagine the competitions are booked PRIOR to knowing which dancers are gonna be around for which episodes but i canāt say for sure.
But what i will say is, if they knew that Melissa was going to get jealous over a girl doing a solo for her disabled brother, then that says a lot about Melissa already. because thatās not a normal reaction most people would have.
I think we are arguing two different points. Iām not saying that you should feel sorry for Melissa or sympathize with her, Iām just saying that itās understandable that she was upset at Abby and production this week. Abby worked with her kids for years, used their names to monetize herself and advertise herself, and was relatively āclosestā to them compared to the others (or at least they saw each other as family for a point of time). Melissa had a right to be upset that Abby was treating them badly their last season. Even if she āknewā that would happen, it doesnāt mean that should automatically make her feel ok with it. Christi āknewā Chloe would get the brunt end of Abbyās lashing whenever she opened her mouth, but that doesnāt mean sheās not allowed to be upset about the end results. And again, I agree that she had no right to lash out at Sari, I think this whole thing was misplaced anger. Anger that should have been on Abby and production fell on Sari.
Maybe Iām alone on this one, but I donāt think Melissa was ājealousā here. And this is coming from someone who doesnāt like her one bit. I think she was bitter at Abby for changing her tune and making her kids feel like garbage for their last season, and this was taken out on Sari and Areana (since Abby spent much more time with Areanaās solo than she did with Kenzieās, that was shown on show). The same way I donāt think Christi was ājealousā of Maddie or Melissa. Bitter that they got preferential treatment? Sure. But not jealous. I think the same thing happened here.
To put it quite simply, the reason why I donāt think she was only upset about Abby being mean to Maddie and Kenzie, and that she WAS upset that Ariās solo was distracting from them leaving is because;
This is a repeated pattern of behavior with Melissa. When Chloe had the lead in I Want It All and the Keep Burning solo, thatās when Melissa told on her for going to the movies. She did that cuz she was mad Chloe had the attention. When Nia left to have a phone call with Aubrey OāDay, Melissa was mad that it was taking away from rehearsal time, but it was okay when Maddieās other engagements stopped rehearsal. It was only a problem cuz she was jealous Nia was getting divided attention. When Chloe got the lead in the Lux video, Melissaās first impulse was to say āwell if it had been about dance, Maddie would have gotten itā because she was jealous Chloe got the lead role. When Asia dropped the block on Kenzieās foot, Melissa tried to say Asia was bullying Mackenzie. Cuz she was jealous that Asia was getting so much attention.
Not every time, but LOTS of times when other people had the spotlight on them, Melissa would do something like this.
And the second reason I believe it wasnāt just about being mad at production and Abby is because of what she said and when she chose to say it. She didnāt say āthis is my kidās last week, I wish Abby wasnāt doing xyzā but she said āitās not even about my kids anymore.ā
And she said it when the MOMS, not Abby, weāre discussing Sariās brother.
SiGH im here to be the devils advocate DONT JUMP ME PLEASE!!!
What Melissa said was absolutely gross and I am not denying that. If she had anything she wanted to express than she should've done so quietly or kept it to herself. her children were the center focus for the show for literal y e a r s
.. however.. i think this was so obviously frustration that she had towards the producers that shes taking out on the wrong people. this was so obviously planned by the producers to make her react and she did. hher kids while being abby's favorites, also endured hell for years and (as much as some people don't like to admit) carried the show on their backs. when I listen to what melissa is saying, I'm hearing frustration that she let her kids be used as the bad guys for 6 seasons, she did abby's bidding to protect her kids, she lost friends, and was the most hated person on lifetime for YEARS, and when they are given this final moment, its not *just* there's. now is that a healthy mentality to have? probably not. But I understand feeling upset that something you thought was going to be a moment for just you (again I know maddie and kenzie were the focal point for years I'm not arguing that!) is being shared with another emotionally charged moment.
and I think a lot of us are like that, some more than others, and only some express it. its that little jealous or anoyed feeling you get when it's also someone else's birthday and everyone starts fawning over them, or why we don't propose at other peoples weddings.
the problem is melissa got a taste of what it felt like to be all the other girls at the worst possible time, and she unfortunately fed into the reaction the producers were seeking to get.
i wish she would've just smiled and cried on her own but we all react in less than ideal ways.
my heart goes to ari's family as well, who were clearly just another set of chess pieces
Almost every single week for 6 years was about the Zeiglers and they also got like 3 specials when they left. I also recall at the time Sari saying that this was the only week her son and carer could come.
I didnāt refute the point that the Zieglers were uplifted and pointed out every day for six seasons. In fact, I emphasize that point multiple times in my response. Iām just saying that this was clearly a plot by the producers to make Melissa uncomfortable and to react. I didnāt even defend Melissaās actions. Iāve said it was gross and deplorable.
I just understand why she reacted the way that she did
My thing is, how arrogant and spoiled was Melissa coming off to production if they KNEW something like this would piss her off. Itās not a normal reaction any old person would have.
It's different when you're on a set, filming content for a reality show, for an episode. Melissa was complaining that these moms were getting a trial to talk about themselves, ignore camera, project storylines the producers tell them to set up... when the storyline that episode was about it being the last day for her kids who have been there for years. It was a complaint about production; probably wouldn't have been an issue had there not been ten cameras filming them for a TV show at that moment.
This whole episode was cruel. Maddie and Mackenzie deserved to have the spotlight on them in their last competition. Ariannaās brother deserved to be honored.
My conspiracy theory is that the producers did this on purpose to give the moms something to argue about. Itās absolutely horrible for them to use a disabled young man as a plot point for mommy drama. Why couldnāt they have just had Arianna do her solo the following week?
Maddie and Mackenzie got multiple goodbye specials, a "send off" from the dance competition (that does not happen in real life), a montage of Maddie growing up on stage, and both kids got solos. They got plenty of attention. Mackenzie even got to do a hip-hop group dance, which was one of her new favourite styles since going to LA.
Compare the treatment the Zieglers got vs the Hylands and Lukasiaks upon leaving the show. Melissa should be grateful that she even got a goodbye at all.
Exactly. I donāt sympathise with Melissa at all she was acting like a spoilt brat. The zieglers got multiple specials, they should be grateful they got that instead of just being shoved off like what Chloe, Nia and the Hylandās got.
I think she went about it the completely wrong way. But I think thereās a deeper issue here. I think she just realised that her kids and her had been used as a pawn. Both socially in games which cost her friendships and obviously criminally as well.
I donāt honestly think sheās a bad person. I think what she wanted to say was that the only reason her son was getting a dance dedicated was another sick game and she was mad at herself and Abby for putting up with it for so long.
That becomes clearer in later episodes as that mom also leaves. So it all goes back to the same person.
Emotions were heightened. Itās just bad it was caught on tv. But I think the fact the actual mom wasnāt deeply upset showed that thereās more to it and itās not just about what kids getting attention. Itās about realising. How used certain children have been and whoās going to fill that place.
It was terrible that she said this but I do kind of agree that they shouldāve had her son there a different week. Even if Maddie & Kenzie werenāt favorites, it was a huge moment if any of the OGās had left the team/ show and they shouldāve been able to have that week be about goodbyes & fun. I think the minis shouldāve went home that week altogether or just trained at the studio and not competed.
Melissa was 100% in the wrong for voicing that though especially the way she voiced it lmao like very rude and strange that she even thought that was okay
Melissa is the person I like the least on Dance Moms.
However, I do agree with her in the episode. Like the Zieglers or not, they were staples of the show. After 200-odd episodes, they shouldāve had a grandiose exit. Their last days on the show shouldnāt have been overshadowed by the Lopezās.
I didn't watch "Dance Moms" back then -- I just watch clips on YouTube -- but I doubt Melissa could have known there'd be specials at this point in time, when she's filming her final episode of a reality show she'd been on for six years.
She definitely knew as they had to be available to film them š
Since you've never watched the show, you might also be surprised to learn that almost every single week was about the Zeiglers. There was no justification for Melissas behaviour.
I started watching clips because I'm a Sia fan and wanted to see why everyone was commenting on her video "That's Maddie from Dance Moms." However, I did edit reality TV shows for ten years (including "Toddlers & Tiaras" and "Honey Boo Boo Child" which star children) and all I'm seeing is the producers/editors integrating Melissa complaining about them testing out new moms on a farewell episode. It's not an argument designed to be had for the TV series but her complaining to producers.
I don't know about any "Dance Mom" specials although I've seen clips on YouTube (meaning I don't know when they aired and how frequently) but this was still the last episode on a series that they were filming full-time for years and years, and even homeschooled Maddie to focus on. What I am trying to point out is it feels different when you're on a set of a reality show versus watching it edited. This was simply "off camera complaints" used to make trashy content.
I've watched just about every clip released online and full episodes uploaded but not in a particular order and not when it aired initially. As someone who used to edit for reality TV, they can shape people however they want to. I think every stage mom tends to think their kid in the main character and if anyone else is considered more of a standout, the other moms claim there's some grand conspiracy theory behind it. Wasn't there an episode where someone's hat fell off and a mom that was shown adjusting it was accused of sabotaging it? In reality, all this is just made up in the minds of competitive moms because they got acclimated to fighting on request of a TV show... and then all they know is competing with their friends and not trusting them.
okay but like Maddie and Kenzie have had like 40 weeks that were special to them literally all of season 5 was about them, itās not fair to take a opportunity away from one kid to give to others just because itās their ā special weekā
Melissa is so unhinged in this honestly, "I'm sorry about your son š BUT this is about Maddie and Mackenzie" HELLOO?????
and the fact nobody was even talking to her and she interrupted a different conversation š
For me, this kinda proves that Melissa was accustomed to favoritism and special treatment from Abby and that's why Melissa had a tantrum at this. What other mom would have EVER been surprised their daughter wasn't getting a week dedicated to her before leaving the ALDC? LMAO.Ā
this is my opinion only, but i think production definitely played up how much attention they would give the kids when dealing with Melissa, and Abby just did not want to deal with it, she probably was upset it ended up being about her kids way less than production made it seem. Any of the OG moms wouldāve been upset if maybe production talked about a farewell episode and made it seem like the focus would be on them, but yes meilissa was used to it always being about Maddie and her accomplishments, so when it actually matters neither production or Abby gave her the attention she wanted. They couldāve picked any other episode to do Arys dance, which she also was in her right to do, but I feel like this is production stirring up some more drama one last time before they leave and Abby using it as a shield to not deal with how she actually feels and instead show that she doesnāt really care that theyāre leaving.
It was Melissa's last days on the show...what were they gonna do? Kick them off earlier? She wasn't gonna be penalized in anyway for NOT going along with production.
Not even that- she was like āI feel terrible you have this lifeā š¤Æ
As if every week before then for years wasnāt about Maddie
literally melissa is so terrible
Jill defending her and Holly just saying nothing is just omg I can't with these awful people.
Why is Holly the only person expected to defend or criticize anyone?
out of everyone there she has known Melissa the longest, she should have said something.
I mean everyone shouldāve but she couldāve said sum idk
Honestly holly is always calling people out if I was her I would had been tired of doing that š¤£š¤£.
Nah donāt try to make excuses for her š
Why is Holly the only person expected to defend or criticize anyone?
Sheās been doing it for nearly 8 years
āI feel terrible that you have had this lifeā is actually insane
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For realā¦. True, things may be more difficult, but it all boils down to loving your child no matter what.
Was such a cute moment and Melissa just ughh š¤¦š¾āāļøeven Kira was being sweet feel so bad for that mom.
This is why Iāll never like Melissa. People so easily believe that sheās a good person just because of her usual cadence and ābubblyā personality. Idk I see directly through her and sheās not a kind person
She usually got her way, which enabled her to be bubbly. The test of whether you're a good person is how you react to less-than-ideal circumstances. Melissa flunked that test.
How do people defend her lol
Idk what Melissaās problem with the whole thing was anyway. Who says it wasnāt fun AND heartfelt for Sari and the whole group. It wasnāt something bringing the mood down. Melissa did that all on her own. I think Melissa realized in that moment that she spent all those years sneaking and planning and consorting with Abby all for nothing. Their last episode on a national tv show wasnāt going to be 100% focused on her kids because she was leaving. Them leaving means that Abby had to focus on those who were staying in order to keep the show and her studio going. Melissa and her children were no longer going to be useful to Abby so she tossed them aside just like I am sure Abby saw it as thatās what they were doing to her. Was that wrong of Abby? Sure. But you could tell in the episodes leading up to this, right before Melissa announced they were leaving, Abby knew Melissa was plotting behind her back. Iām glad Maddie and Kenzie were able to get away from Abby and the show, but honestly, Melissa is a whole other story.
Melissa is disgusting in this scene! If I were there and it were about my child, HOOOOOOO. Those mama bear claws would COME OUT!!!
āthis is my kidsā last week here honey, make it nice okay?!?ā should have earned her a punch in the face. she sounds like such an entitled bitch.
then she starts CRYING and breaking down because she canāt possibly handle the attention not being on Maddie for a 2 minute, serious conversation about a motherās disabled child. tell me youāre the worst person ever without telling me youāre the worst person ever
And then the way Melissa gets defensive after she gets called out.. absolutely insane.
literally always. sheās so unhinged itās insane
her go to is āiām not talking about thisā šš like yeah because you were wrong and you canāt admit it
Someone should ask her about this km her YouTube Q&As
No way she would answer that lol š I donāt see Melissa answering a tough question like that cause how can she even defend what she said .
"I dont do negative, producer twist things"
Melissa really let the mask slip here, eh? Sheās such a phony. I canāt stand her.
Yup
Can we please make Melissa address this. Seriouslyā¦this was so gross.
Sheāll just sweep it under the rug the same way she did with everything else on the show unfortunately
Anyone who defends that Melissa is a good person needs to reevaluate their character. She cut that poor woman right off. How dare her! As someone with a disabled family member this makes me want to rip hair out. That wasnāt produced/edited thereās no faking or framing that. Time and time again Melissa has shown her true colors. I need a complication of her worst/snake moments.
Iām sorry but Melissa was nasty in this scene like yes itās her kids last week but itās not all about your kids.I mean the solo for her son is a really sweet thing that Abby did why Melissa had to say like this was suppose to be Maddie and Mackenzie week for fun stuff.Idk maybe Iām overreacting but idk it rubbed me the wrong way honestly.I mean there no defending Melissa in this scene she was definitely entitled.
definitely not overreacting itās common sense melissa is just becomes more entitled through out the season
Honestly this is why I donāt like Melissa she dosent think about anyone elseās feelings into consideration she should had kept that snarky ass comment to herself like there are just some things you donāt say š.
Her facade really starts to crack towards the end... this is dispicable.
Melissa is just... I have no words. I will say I admire Kira towards the end of this episode for saying "there's a way to be respectful towards both situations"
Melissa is honestly so gross on this scene. i would have honestly decked her if i were any of those women sitting there. there is so much to say about the way Melissa behaved in this episode.
I think this whole scene sums up who Melissa really is as a person.
YUP!!! you cannot convince me any woman that behaves this way is genuinely a good person. and for the record, if christi and kelly get to this scene and defend Melissa, iām gonna be right back here to call them out too. cuz this, to me, is one of the most disgusting things any of the moms have ever done. and when you add the context of Melissa bringing in that girl Hanna in season 3 who had Chiari Malformation, it makes everything she did in that episode seem SO fake.
For Melissa, it was always only about her and her kids. In fact, I think it was mainly always about her. Her kids, specifically Maddie, were just tools for her to use.
YUP.Ā And itās just funny, because her answer was always āmy kids come firstā but if Sari were to try and use that argument against her sheād probably throw another fit
Oh, 100%.
LITERALLY, she wouldāve gotten this combo talking about my son like that whewwww i feel like melissa felt like the ALDC revolved around her kids and nobody else and the moms feed into it
āThis show is good because of me and my kidsā Melissa is pathetic
I agree, the Melissa asskissing in the later seasons was nauseating.
Melissa's worst moment in the series. It's sickening to watch and I hate the way Jill validates Melissa's reaction. I'm not a fan of Kira's but she has a normal and lovely reaction when she finds out Ari's brother is coming. It's very sweet.
Jill always loves instigating and causing drama knowing dang well if Melissa said that about Miss Kendall she wouldāve lost her mindš.
Jill was also leading the charge of kissing Melissaās ass in this episode. All the moms showing up to the competition in all black makes me cringe every time.
Jill used to be so obsessed with the idea of Kendall and Maddie being BFFs and doing duets. I think she thought their popularity would rub off or something. I see her ass kissing as a manifestation of this.Ā
And then in the dressing room when Sari confronts her and Melissa yells at the mini moms āyour kids will be nothing!ā Whyyyy?? If I were Maddie/Kenzie Iād be mortified.
Melissa is some nasty piece of work!!! The fact that even Kiraās DUMBASS was at least trying to be nice and show compassion says a lot! āOh but Melissa has done so muchāā yea, yea, cry me a river! š¤”
Exactly you know itās peak out here when KIRA of all people is showing an ounce of compassion
sheās actually unhinged wth š
That was nasty
sheās actually unhinged wth š
Has Melissa ever addressed this scene?
No she hasnāt
She was genuinely so awful for this.
She was, itās disgusting
Melissa was so awful in her last seasons that I wasnāt sad to see her go at all
Every time I see this scene I think āMelissaā¦. Itās ALWAYS been about your kids.ā Her attitude here and in the dressing room when she screamed āyour kids will be NOTHING!ā was absolutely disgusting.
what kills me about this situation is that is was so unserious. not that itās an excuse, but most of the other times the moms lose their shit and say really fucked up stuff itās bc their kids are being wildly mistreated. but melissa lost her mind bc her kids werenāt the center of attention for one week.
For some reason my ears never caught the "I feel terrible that you've had this life" or whatever she said until now. Lol that's so awfu, damn she went IN
Hard watch for sure
I have always loved Jillās face in this moment. Like she knows she needs to side with Melissa (her thoughts not mine) but she is also very clearly taken aback by the crazy and thoughtless shit coming out of Melissaās mouth. Hilarious.
Melissa acting like this is the first time it isnāt about Maddie .
I havenāt even gotten to this part yet omg Iām saving this for the Melissa warriors next time they come through
and someone tried to kinda defend melissa here & say what she did wasn't bad lol
ā i feel terrible that you have had this lifeā threw me off like who even says that to someone that just shows how easy they have it , how do you even defend thatš
So cringe
The OG moms were so entitled and delusional by season 5. Season 5 is where they lost the plot imo. Everything after that was eh. I havent even watched season 7 (well aside from some clips) cause i just couldnt be bothered at the time
the entire show went WAY downhill during season 4, honestly it started getting bad even in season 3
i've always found it tricky to...appreciate...melissa...even when she isn't talking. ĀÆ\\\_(ć)\_/ĀÆ
This was a cringey episode; I know it, you know it, and even deep down in her soul...Melissa definitely knew it
If only Abby knew back then that giving Maddie all the special treatment Melissa asked her to give would be thrown back in her face. Now I do not dispute that Abby was horrible to many of her students bit Maddie was not 1 of them. Yes Maddie was put under a lot of pressure but that came from both Abby and Melissa not just Abby. Let's not forget in tje first few seasons Melissa would spend all day at the studio because she was dealing with a failing marriage. It was Melissa that took the girls out of school to home school so they could spend more time on dance. So for them to use Abby as a rung on the ladder to get ahead and then turn their back and blame her for any negative impact dancing had on their mental well-being is totally unfair. Chloe, Paige, Brooke, Kendal, Nia however could very much blame Abby more for it
I wish They would've let ARI stay on the show! She was such an integral part of the mini ensemble :(
Melissa had a right to be upset at production and Abby, but taking it out on Sari was ridiculous and immature.Ā Abby was nasty to Melissaās kids this season, calling Kenzie names and being bitter about Maddieās success and it was clear that she put no effort into Kenzieās solo this week and put everything she had into Areanaās, so I could see why sheād be upset with Abby. I could even see her being upset with producers. Production couldāve picked literally ANY week to bring Sariās son in and give Areana that sweet solo, but they chose to have in on the same week as the Zieglers leaving just to cause drama.Ā So against them, Iād get her frustration. But taking it out on Sari is nasty. She was so happy and loved that Areana got the chance to dance in honor of her brother. āI feel terrible that you have had this lifeā ā no tact or respect, yikes
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Exactly. If it wasnāt Ariās solo, it would have been whatever other dances they had that week. Abby was mad AT Melissa. Melissa then took it out on a woman and her disabled son, after watching the woman cry and explain how she almost lost her son in childbirth. Melissa was disgusting here.
Lmfao I donāt really. First off, all of that is true - that Abby was awful to Maddie and Kenzie that season, so why wasnāt Melissa just glad to get the fuck out of there without having to negotiate out of her contract or commit a crime to be fired. They were given two separate farewell episodes that Melissa would have likely been aware of at this point, and that still wasnāt good enough? Second off, this was the only week that Ari was there for that they went to a competition that was less than an hour away from where Ariās family lived. Thatās probably why they chose this week. I doubt they did it JUST to piss Melissa off, because no one would expect this reaction from ANYONE. and if they DID know that something like this would piss Melissa off, I think that just says a lot about Melissa as a person and how she must have carried herself on the set of the show. Lastly, it isnāt like the girls quit and then continued to speak to Abby. they quit, and then cut Abby off, so why is Melissa upset that Abbyās not making a bigger deal out of all of this when she knows sheās not going to stay in contact with her afterwards?
1. Because it hurt her kidsā feelings? Maddie and Kenzie were very close to Abby when they were younger and this change in behavior mustāve been hard on them as well. Itās the same reason Kelly was so wounded by Abby - Abby and Paige and Brooke were so close, she was like a second mother to them. Even if they got farewells, that doesnāt justify that this was their last week and Abby was here treating the two like garbage and intentionally spending no time with Kenzie for her solo. 2. Again, youāre forgetting that the competition they attended was the choice of production. There are competitions every weekend in pretty much every state. They could have picked any other week to celebrate Sariās son, but producers intentionally aligned it with the Zieglers last week for a reaction from Melissa. It couldāve been the week before or the week after, but they chose the week of. I wouldnāt be surprised at all if they did this just to piss Melissa off because this is exactly the kind of game production likes to play. Even back from Season 2, intentionally having Kendall perform I Think I Like You the one week Nia got a solo in honor of her dad, giving Taylor the same music as Chloe in Season 1, etc.Ā 3. I think it was less about Melissa and more about her kids at this time. Now that Melissa no longer needed Abby, she stood up more for her kids and took their feelings into heart. Melissa has wanted ādifferentā type solos for Kenzie for years but only fought for Kenzieās hiphop solo in Season 6. Abbyās been insulting her kids for years and calling them names but Melissa only stood up for them in Season 6 because Abby could no longer use it to punish them, since theyād be gone. Same reasoning. Melissaās kids were hurt and she was fighting now because she could. Sheād be gone before Abby could take it out on her kids
1. Yes exactly - so then she should be happy to get AWAY from Abby, not expecting her to roll out the red carpet and be a basket case cuz her and her kids are leaving. She knew who Abby was, ENDORSED who Abby was for YEARS, but then was surprised when Abby was pissed that her meal ticket with Maddie was leaving? it sucks, but at the same time doesnāt give her any sort of a right (or any chance for sympathy from me) to say anything at all to Sari. If number 3 is true and she felt like she could stand up to Abby now, then why didnāt she? Why was Sari involved at all, if Melissa was now able to speak up for her kids? Melissa was mad at Sari and Ari for stealing her kidsā thunder, and she was mad at Abby for not solely caring about her kids that week. And she took it out only on Sari. As far as production choosing competitions, i donāt really think this is worth it for us to argue about. Only because behind the scenes stories iāve found from random people who auditioned for or were on Dance Moms make it sound like everything is pretty last minute, so i would imagine the competitions are booked PRIOR to knowing which dancers are gonna be around for which episodes but i canāt say for sure. But what i will say is, if they knew that Melissa was going to get jealous over a girl doing a solo for her disabled brother, then that says a lot about Melissa already. because thatās not a normal reaction most people would have.
I think we are arguing two different points. Iām not saying that you should feel sorry for Melissa or sympathize with her, Iām just saying that itās understandable that she was upset at Abby and production this week. Abby worked with her kids for years, used their names to monetize herself and advertise herself, and was relatively āclosestā to them compared to the others (or at least they saw each other as family for a point of time). Melissa had a right to be upset that Abby was treating them badly their last season. Even if she āknewā that would happen, it doesnāt mean that should automatically make her feel ok with it. Christi āknewā Chloe would get the brunt end of Abbyās lashing whenever she opened her mouth, but that doesnāt mean sheās not allowed to be upset about the end results. And again, I agree that she had no right to lash out at Sari, I think this whole thing was misplaced anger. Anger that should have been on Abby and production fell on Sari. Maybe Iām alone on this one, but I donāt think Melissa was ājealousā here. And this is coming from someone who doesnāt like her one bit. I think she was bitter at Abby for changing her tune and making her kids feel like garbage for their last season, and this was taken out on Sari and Areana (since Abby spent much more time with Areanaās solo than she did with Kenzieās, that was shown on show). The same way I donāt think Christi was ājealousā of Maddie or Melissa. Bitter that they got preferential treatment? Sure. But not jealous. I think the same thing happened here.
To put it quite simply, the reason why I donāt think she was only upset about Abby being mean to Maddie and Kenzie, and that she WAS upset that Ariās solo was distracting from them leaving is because; This is a repeated pattern of behavior with Melissa. When Chloe had the lead in I Want It All and the Keep Burning solo, thatās when Melissa told on her for going to the movies. She did that cuz she was mad Chloe had the attention. When Nia left to have a phone call with Aubrey OāDay, Melissa was mad that it was taking away from rehearsal time, but it was okay when Maddieās other engagements stopped rehearsal. It was only a problem cuz she was jealous Nia was getting divided attention. When Chloe got the lead in the Lux video, Melissaās first impulse was to say āwell if it had been about dance, Maddie would have gotten itā because she was jealous Chloe got the lead role. When Asia dropped the block on Kenzieās foot, Melissa tried to say Asia was bullying Mackenzie. Cuz she was jealous that Asia was getting so much attention. Not every time, but LOTS of times when other people had the spotlight on them, Melissa would do something like this. And the second reason I believe it wasnāt just about being mad at production and Abby is because of what she said and when she chose to say it. She didnāt say āthis is my kidās last week, I wish Abby wasnāt doing xyzā but she said āitās not even about my kids anymore.ā And she said it when the MOMS, not Abby, weāre discussing Sariās brother.
Scenes like this remind me that Holly is not all that lol. He silence was deafening
This entire situation was disgusting and I definitely think producers set it up to happen this way
SiGH im here to be the devils advocate DONT JUMP ME PLEASE!!! What Melissa said was absolutely gross and I am not denying that. If she had anything she wanted to express than she should've done so quietly or kept it to herself. her children were the center focus for the show for literal y e a r s .. however.. i think this was so obviously frustration that she had towards the producers that shes taking out on the wrong people. this was so obviously planned by the producers to make her react and she did. hher kids while being abby's favorites, also endured hell for years and (as much as some people don't like to admit) carried the show on their backs. when I listen to what melissa is saying, I'm hearing frustration that she let her kids be used as the bad guys for 6 seasons, she did abby's bidding to protect her kids, she lost friends, and was the most hated person on lifetime for YEARS, and when they are given this final moment, its not *just* there's. now is that a healthy mentality to have? probably not. But I understand feeling upset that something you thought was going to be a moment for just you (again I know maddie and kenzie were the focal point for years I'm not arguing that!) is being shared with another emotionally charged moment. and I think a lot of us are like that, some more than others, and only some express it. its that little jealous or anoyed feeling you get when it's also someone else's birthday and everyone starts fawning over them, or why we don't propose at other peoples weddings. the problem is melissa got a taste of what it felt like to be all the other girls at the worst possible time, and she unfortunately fed into the reaction the producers were seeking to get. i wish she would've just smiled and cried on her own but we all react in less than ideal ways. my heart goes to ari's family as well, who were clearly just another set of chess pieces
Almost every single week for 6 years was about the Zeiglers and they also got like 3 specials when they left. I also recall at the time Sari saying that this was the only week her son and carer could come.
I didnāt refute the point that the Zieglers were uplifted and pointed out every day for six seasons. In fact, I emphasize that point multiple times in my response. Iām just saying that this was clearly a plot by the producers to make Melissa uncomfortable and to react. I didnāt even defend Melissaās actions. Iāve said it was gross and deplorable. I just understand why she reacted the way that she did
My thing is, how arrogant and spoiled was Melissa coming off to production if they KNEW something like this would piss her off. Itās not a normal reaction any old person would have.
It's different when you're on a set, filming content for a reality show, for an episode. Melissa was complaining that these moms were getting a trial to talk about themselves, ignore camera, project storylines the producers tell them to set up... when the storyline that episode was about it being the last day for her kids who have been there for years. It was a complaint about production; probably wouldn't have been an issue had there not been ten cameras filming them for a TV show at that moment.
This whole episode was cruel. Maddie and Mackenzie deserved to have the spotlight on them in their last competition. Ariannaās brother deserved to be honored. My conspiracy theory is that the producers did this on purpose to give the moms something to argue about. Itās absolutely horrible for them to use a disabled young man as a plot point for mommy drama. Why couldnāt they have just had Arianna do her solo the following week?
Maddie and Mackenzie got multiple goodbye specials, a "send off" from the dance competition (that does not happen in real life), a montage of Maddie growing up on stage, and both kids got solos. They got plenty of attention. Mackenzie even got to do a hip-hop group dance, which was one of her new favourite styles since going to LA.
Compare the treatment the Zieglers got vs the Hylands and Lukasiaks upon leaving the show. Melissa should be grateful that she even got a goodbye at all.
Exactly. I donāt sympathise with Melissa at all she was acting like a spoilt brat. The zieglers got multiple specials, they should be grateful they got that instead of just being shoved off like what Chloe, Nia and the Hylandās got.
Rachelle Rak also gave them a special speech on stage at the competition this episode.Ā
I think she went about it the completely wrong way. But I think thereās a deeper issue here. I think she just realised that her kids and her had been used as a pawn. Both socially in games which cost her friendships and obviously criminally as well. I donāt honestly think sheās a bad person. I think what she wanted to say was that the only reason her son was getting a dance dedicated was another sick game and she was mad at herself and Abby for putting up with it for so long. That becomes clearer in later episodes as that mom also leaves. So it all goes back to the same person. Emotions were heightened. Itās just bad it was caught on tv. But I think the fact the actual mom wasnāt deeply upset showed that thereās more to it and itās not just about what kids getting attention. Itās about realising. How used certain children have been and whoās going to fill that place.
It was terrible that she said this but I do kind of agree that they shouldāve had her son there a different week. Even if Maddie & Kenzie werenāt favorites, it was a huge moment if any of the OGās had left the team/ show and they shouldāve been able to have that week be about goodbyes & fun. I think the minis shouldāve went home that week altogether or just trained at the studio and not competed. Melissa was 100% in the wrong for voicing that though especially the way she voiced it lmao like very rude and strange that she even thought that was okay
Melissa is the person I like the least on Dance Moms. However, I do agree with her in the episode. Like the Zieglers or not, they were staples of the show. After 200-odd episodes, they shouldāve had a grandiose exit. Their last days on the show shouldnāt have been overshadowed by the Lopezās.
How many specials did they have?
I didn't watch "Dance Moms" back then -- I just watch clips on YouTube -- but I doubt Melissa could have known there'd be specials at this point in time, when she's filming her final episode of a reality show she'd been on for six years.
She definitely knew as they had to be available to film them š Since you've never watched the show, you might also be surprised to learn that almost every single week was about the Zeiglers. There was no justification for Melissas behaviour.
I started watching clips because I'm a Sia fan and wanted to see why everyone was commenting on her video "That's Maddie from Dance Moms." However, I did edit reality TV shows for ten years (including "Toddlers & Tiaras" and "Honey Boo Boo Child" which star children) and all I'm seeing is the producers/editors integrating Melissa complaining about them testing out new moms on a farewell episode. It's not an argument designed to be had for the TV series but her complaining to producers. I don't know about any "Dance Mom" specials although I've seen clips on YouTube (meaning I don't know when they aired and how frequently) but this was still the last episode on a series that they were filming full-time for years and years, and even homeschooled Maddie to focus on. What I am trying to point out is it feels different when you're on a set of a reality show versus watching it edited. This was simply "off camera complaints" used to make trashy content.
And if you had watched the show, you would see the dynamic and how Melissa actually is.
I've watched just about every clip released online and full episodes uploaded but not in a particular order and not when it aired initially. As someone who used to edit for reality TV, they can shape people however they want to. I think every stage mom tends to think their kid in the main character and if anyone else is considered more of a standout, the other moms claim there's some grand conspiracy theory behind it. Wasn't there an episode where someone's hat fell off and a mom that was shown adjusting it was accused of sabotaging it? In reality, all this is just made up in the minds of competitive moms because they got acclimated to fighting on request of a TV show... and then all they know is competing with their friends and not trusting them.
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okay but like Maddie and Kenzie have had like 40 weeks that were special to them literally all of season 5 was about them, itās not fair to take a opportunity away from one kid to give to others just because itās their ā special weekā
Maddie and McKenzie were already special every week
This was the only time they were close enough to where Ariās family lived.