Miranda Derrick is one of the most talked-about names to come out of the TikTok dance world in recent years. She built her early career as a gifted dancer and social media influencer, but her life took a dramatic turn when her family publicly claimed she had joined a cult-like group. That claim eventually became the subject of Netflix’s docuseries “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult,” which introduced her story to millions of viewers around the world. This article brings together everything currently known about Miranda Derrick, from her early life and dance career to her connection with 7M Films and Shekinah Church, her public statements, and the ongoing legal case that continues to surround her.
Who Is Miranda Derrick?
Miranda Derrick, born Miranda Wilking on February 24, 1997, is an American dancer, choreographer, and content creator who rose to fame through short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram. She grew up in the Detroit, Michigan area before moving to Los Angeles right after high school to pursue a full-time career in professional dance. Her natural talent and sharp choreography quickly set her apart in a crowded online space filled with dancers trying to build an audience.
She is married to fellow dancer James Derrick, also known online as “BDash,” and the two became a recognizable couple within the influencer and dance community. Before becoming known for the controversy surrounding her family and 7M Films, Miranda was simply seen as a rising star in the world of viral dance videos, often praised for her energy, precision, and ability to keep up with fast-changing trends on social media.
Early Life and the Wilking Sisters
Miranda’s love of dance began early, and she shared that passion closely with her younger sister, Melanie Wilking. The two trained together as children and later performed together as a duo often referred to online as the Wilking Sisters. Their joint videos, featuring synchronized routines and playful chemistry, helped both sisters build large individual followings during the early boom of dance-based social media content.
Their parents, Kelly and Dean Wilking, supported their daughters’ pursuit of a dance career from Michigan, and the family appeared close in years before the public fallout that would later make headlines. Miranda’s move to Los Angeles was followed shortly after by Melanie, who joined her sister to continue building their shared online presence and chase further opportunities in the competitive dance and influencer industry.
Joining 7M Films and Shekinah Church
Miranda’s career shifted significantly when she and her husband became associated with 7M Films, a talent management company created by Robert Shinn. Shinn is also the pastor of Shekinah Church, a religious organization based in Los Angeles. 7M Films represented a number of well-known TikTok dancers and positioned itself as a management group offering guidance, structure, and career support to young creators trying to turn their online fame into a sustainable business.
As Miranda became more involved with 7M, she also grew closer to Shekinah Church, eventually becoming an active member of the congregation. Her husband James followed a similar path, and both became deeply embedded in the community surrounding Shinn’s organizations. Over time, this involvement appeared to change the dynamic between Miranda and her family, setting the stage for the concerns that would soon become public.
Family Concerns and the 2022 Public Statement
In February 2022, Miranda’s parents and her sister Melanie released a video on social media expressing deep concern about Miranda’s wellbeing. They said she had become distant, was difficult to reach, and appeared to no longer be in control of major decisions in her own life. The family described feeling shut out and suggested that 7M Films and Shekinah Church were exerting significant influence over Miranda’s choices, movements, and relationships.
The statement caused an immediate stir online, with fans and followers of the Wilking Sisters expressing shock and concern. In response, a representative speaking for Miranda and 7M pushed back strongly, describing Miranda as a successful, independent businesswoman who loved her family and had made her own choices. The representative called the family’s portrayal of Robert Shinn and the organization inaccurate and offensive, setting up a public disagreement that would continue for years.
Netflix’s “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult”
The years-long tension between Miranda and her family reached a much larger audience when Netflix released the three-episode docuseries “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” on May 29, 2024. The series combined interviews from Miranda’s parents and sister with accounts from former members of 7M Films and Shekinah Church, many of whom described patterns of control, isolation, and manipulation within the group. Robert Shinn did not participate in the documentary and has not spoken publicly about most of the specific allegations.
The docuseries connected these personal testimonies to a wider civil lawsuit filed in March 2023 by several former members of Shekinah, which accused Shinn and other defendants of brainwashing, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, and other serious misconduct. Because Miranda remained a committed member of 7M and Shekinah throughout filming, the series portrayed her as someone caught between the community she had chosen and a family desperate to reconnect with her. The show quickly became a major talking point across social media and entertainment news outlets after its release.
Miranda Derrick’s Response to the Documentary
Shortly after the documentary premiered, Miranda broke her silence with a lengthy statement posted to her Instagram account in early June 2024. She described the series as one-sided and said it felt like a public attack on her life and character. She firmly stated that she was not a victim, was not being abused, and had never asked her family or anyone else to intervene on her behalf, adding that what she chose to do with her own life was entirely up to her.
In her statement, Miranda also addressed a specific moment shown in the documentary involving her decision not to attend her grandfather’s funeral. She explained that this was her own choice, made because she felt harassed and threatened by her family at the time, rather than something forced upon her by anyone connected to 7M. She also referenced the loss of access to the Wilking Sisters’ shared social media account, claiming her sister had locked her out of it, which added another layer of tension to the sisters’ public dispute.
Life Threats and Safety Concerns After the Release
Following the documentary’s release, Miranda and her husband James said they began receiving hate mail and death threats from strangers online. In interviews shortly after the series debuted, Miranda explained that she and James previously felt safe in their daily lives but that the sudden wave of attention made them feel followed and unsafe, even while simply driving in their own cars around Los Angeles.
This period highlighted a difficult side effect of viral true-crime style documentaries, where real people become the target of intense public scrutiny and, in some cases, harassment. Despite the backlash, Miranda continued to maintain her position that she was living her life by choice and was not in any danger from her association with 7M Films or Shekinah Church.
The Ongoing Legal Battle Involving Robert Shinn
At the legal center of this story is the 2023 civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by several former members of Shekinah Church and 7M Films, including Melanie Wilking and other former dancers such as Kylie Douglas, Aubrey Fisher-Green, and Kevin Davis. The lawsuit accuses Robert Shinn and his associates of running an organization built on control, manipulation, and abuse disguised as a religious institution. Shinn and the other named defendants have denied these allegations through their attorneys.
Adding another layer to the situation, Miranda and James Derrick, along with 7M and Shinn, had separately filed their own lawsuit in April 2022 against a YouTube creator who had reported critically on the organization, accusing her of defamation. This meant Miranda was simultaneously connected to litigation on two different fronts, one where she stood alongside 7M as a plaintiff, and another where she was named as part of the broader allegations against the group. The primary civil case against Shinn was originally expected to go to trial in mid-2025 but was later pushed back, with legal representatives confirming a revised trial date later in the year.
Federal Investigation and Recent Developments
The controversy escalated further in July 2025, when federal agents, working alongside the FBI, IRS, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, executed search warrants at a property connected to Robert Shinn in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles. Authorities confirmed the investigation involved serious allegations, including sex trafficking and money laundering, though no criminal charges had been filed against Shinn as of the raid. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the civil case said they were encouraged by the government’s involvement and expressed hope that justice would ultimately be served.
In the weeks following the raid, Miranda and James Derrick reportedly deleted their Instagram and TikTok accounts, stepping away from the platforms that had once been central to their careers and public image. As of the most recent updates, Miranda remains connected to 7M Films and Shekinah Church, and there has been no public indication that her relationship with her estranged family has improved.
Conclusion
Miranda Derrick’s story is a striking example of how a personal family dispute can grow into a major public controversy in the age of social media. What began as concerned messages from a worried family in 2022 eventually became a widely watched Netflix docuseries, an ongoing civil lawsuit, and now a federal investigation touching the organization she remains part of. While Miranda has repeatedly and firmly stated that she is not a victim and is living her life on her own terms, the legal proceedings against Robert Shinn and 7M Films are still unfolding, and many questions surrounding the case remain unanswered. As the trial date approaches and the investigation continues, Miranda Derrick’s name is likely to remain closely tied to one of the most discussed influencer controversies of the past several years.