When Paige and Brooke Hyland left Dance Moms, it followed the most dramatic scene in the show’s history.
Even a decade later, the explosive fight between dance teacher Abby Lee Miller and the Hyland sister’s mother is still talked about. A generation of fans even act it out on TikTok.
As the girls discuss on the Dance Moms: The Reunion special, there is still a lot of trauma to be dealt with regarding what happened.
And now that their mother is battling cancer, it might seem like a blip in their lives, but in truth, it still remains a formative moment from their youth.
So, let’s revisit what went down and why Paige and Brooke Hyland left Dance Moms when they were kids.
When & Why Paige and Brooke Hyland Left ‘Dance Moms’
Sisters Brooke and Paige Hyland were always well-behaved kids while on Dance Moms, but both had a hard time gaining praise from their difficult to please teacher.
Abby Lee Miller spent a lot of the first four seasons playing favorites (Maddie Ziegler) and pitting the girls against each other (poor Chloe!).
In the now infamous Season 4 episode, the sisters’ mother Kelly Hyland got into a heated argument with Abby Lee when, out of the blue, a new girl is brought into the company on a competition day. Kelly felt Abby had brought in surprise newcomer Kalani Hilliker purposefully as an ambush and to replace her two children.
Abby denied it, but Kelly was not detoured. Things unfortunately got physical when Abby walked up to Kelly and pointed her finger in her face. Then, Abby motioned as if she was going to bite Kelly, who is turn grabbed her hair and pushed her away.
While the situation was later defused by the other mothers, Brooke and Paige quit ALDC after that.
And in fact, they never danced again.
The Aftermath: Kelly Hyland’s Arrest & The Sister’s Dance Careers
Kelly was arrested for assault and harassment stemming from the fight with Abby. However, the charges were eventually dropped. Kelly agreed to go to counseling and to stay away from Abby for six months.
Six months quickly turned into forever, as the girls quit dancing with Abby. But the legal battles were just beginning.
Kelly and her daughters filed a lawsuit against Abby and the show’s production company in November 2014, months after the explosive fight.
The family claimed the girls that they suffered from “defamation” and “emotional distress” because of the show, according to THR. They alleged Abby had a “domineering and often bullying and insulting leadership style” and wanted $5 million in damages. However, the judge through the case out, stating there wasn’t enough “evidence.”
So, the girls lost the battle and war. After that, neither sister pursued a dancing career.
But don’t feel bad for them. On the contrary, the girls are thriving!
Brooke & Paige Hyland Return For ‘Dance Moms’ Reunion: ‘It Was Really Hard’
After decade removed from the show, Brooke and Paige reunited with most of the cast of Dance Moms for a reunion special on Lifetime.
It was the first time the sisters were reunited with the other OG girls, like Chloe and Kendall. It was also the first time they faced their “replacement” Kalani in ten years.
Ahead of the show, the sisters addressed the concern that their mother blames herself for the end of her daughters’ time in the spotlight.
“I think we both wanted to get off the show, so I think we feel bad that our mom is holding that guilt,” Paige told ET.
“Actually, it’s like we want to thank her,” Brooke added.
“We look at her as an amazing mom who was fighting to do what we wanted,” Paige continues.
However, they both concede that the trauma of that fight that ended their time at ALDC is still something they are dealing with today – especially since the world won’t let them forget it.
“It’s hard. It’s become a TikTok trend,” Brooke shared. “People are using that sound from the fight. We scroll past. I’ve reenacted it. Kind of just laugh it off. But the reunion was the first time we’ve sat there and gone, ‘Wow, this happened! And it was my mom and my dance teacher who was a very important person in my life. It was really hard.”
It was noted that their mother Kelly did not attend the reunion, something the other mother’s were incredibly curious about at the time. Later, it was revealed a month after the reunion that Kelly has been battling stage 3 breast cancer. Her treatment is ongoing.
