Dancing For The Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult focuses on the bizarre story of a church-related management company and the TikTok and social media dancers who became entangled with it, particularly Miranda Derrick, formerly Wilking, sister of Melanie Wilking.
The Wilking sisters were at one point as close as two peas in a pod, and their dance routines on social media, including TikTok, would make them hot property. Through their hard work, they would build a brand, gain sponsorship, and become involved in working with some A-list musical talent.
However, by 2021, the two sisters seemed to drift to concentrate on individual projects. Miranda would become involved with 7M, a management company with a controversial background, which some claimed was, in fact, a cult.
Melanie and her parents would take to social media to report that Miranda was involved with 7M and make an emotional plea for Miranda to return. However, Miranda herself would reply to the upload with one of her own, refuting the claims.
Miranda Derrick’s Whereabouts
Specifics about the exact whereabouts of Miranda are vague, however, I found an article on The Daily Beast that provided some information about her situation.
In 2022, the article stated that 7M had responded to their request for some details:
“A representative said while the Derricks were members of the church, the business dealings of 7M Films were separate from the church. They denied being a cult, and equated the Wilkings’ claims against Miranda and the church as a family dispute.”
The statement would go on to say,
“Miranda Derrick is a successful businesswoman and a loving wife and daughter who cares very much about her family. While the recent portrayals of Dr. Robert Shinn and 7M Films have been wildly offensive and riddled with inaccuracies, those false claims will not deter 7M from supporting Miranda in whichever endeavors she chooses to pursue next.”
These kind of statements from the agency, and Miranda herself, have managed to split the opinions of people interested in the story. You can only hope that the Netflix series will be able to dive into the situation more deeply.
Miranda’s Husband, James Derrick
Miranda married James Derrick on August 9, 2021. The marriage was done off the record, with none of Miranda’s family present.
Just like Miranda, James also has a love of dancing, and he too is managed by 7M. James has had a relatively high profile, mainly from appearances on shows such as World of Dance and So You Think You Can Dance. James is also a skilled choreographer and has a huge social media following.
The dancer is originally from California.
@margkw1 “Smooth Criminal,” Michael Jackson feat. Miranda Derrick & her husband BDash (James Derrick) … the best around IMO @Miranda Derrick
Miranda Derrick’s Difficult Family Life
It has been a controversial timeline for Miranda. Her family would publicly claim that Miranda has been brainwashed by 7M Films, who manages many social media dancers, offering them a way to make better videos, offering resources, and taking care of their financial situation.
The family would claim that Miranda and James had become part of a religious group, and were not allowed to speak to her family. Miranda had not attended a family funeral and blocked her family on social media. Miranda and James though would refute the claims, and Miranda said she was worried her parents would try to stop her returning to James, who they did not approve of.
However, some other dancers would come forward and back up the claims of Miranda’s family. The docuseries will explore the tangled web more carefully.
