“Dance Moms” star Abby Lee Miller is finally facing the music when it comes to her fraud case and she has just learned her sentence. Miller and her legal team had managed to push out this day for many months, but things have finally proceeded and it looks as if Abby will be spending time behind bars.
Miller initially faced up to five years in prison
The case against the “Dance Moms” star initially involved 20 counts of fraud that came after a bankruptcy judge questioned earnings of Abby Lee Miller's that had not been incorporated into her bankruptcy filing.
Additional allegations emerged as the case proceeded and she eventually entered a guilty plea that would bring some consequences, but the plea kept her from facing all of the charges and the possibility of $5 million in fines and up to five years in jail.
Deadline shares that Miller has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison. The “Dance Moms” star and her legal team had been trying to argue that she should be given some grace and no prison sentence, but the strategy was not successful. During the sentencing hearing, Abby took the stand and tearfully talked about how she had become a laughing stock of reality television.
Abby's legal team tried to keep her out of prison
Miller talked about how the sudden fame set the stage for the legal issues she ultimately faced and she tried to convince the judge that she would be sure to avoid further legal issues if she was given leniency in this matter.
The defense also brought forth some character witnesses who testified that Abby's tough “Dance Moms” demeanor did not really represent who she really is.
The prosecution fought for a 2.5-year sentence for Abby as the defense angled to get probation. Ultimately, the judge went for a sentence about in the middle of what the two sides were arguing to get for the “Dance Moms” star.
There were some familiar faces in court as the sentencing came down, with Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak reportedly sitting behind Miller. This is an interesting development, considering how contentious things were when both the Hyland and Lukasiak families left the series.
Abby had already cut ties with 'Dance Moms'
As for the series, Miller stormed off during filming not long ago, taking to social media to express her anger and decision to quit. While Abby had ranted about production and the show before, this time the partnership was truly severed and former “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Cheryl Burke was brought in to take Miller's place.
Despite all of that drama, the buzz is that Abby did film a clip show for the series not long ago.
Radar Online notes that Abby was all smiles as she entered the courtroom, but it did not come as a complete shock that her sentence will include prison time. The "Dance Moms" star has been open about her anxiety regarding her sentence, and fans will be anxious to see how Abby Lee Miller handles her time behind bars, and how she changes her life once her sentence is behind her. Do you think that the sentencing was appropriate in this case?
