Where Is Miranda Derrick Now? All About the TikTok Star at the Center of Netflix's “Dancing for the Devil”

Netflix's docuseries 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult' began streaming on May 29

Miranda Derrick may portray a blissful life on TikTok and Instagram, but her family believes that behind the cheerful dances and filtered sheen, something more sinister is afoot.

Derrick is a dancer and influencer at the center of Netflix's new docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, which premiered on May 29. Originally one half of the Wilking Sisters TikTok, Derrick grew estranged from her family after becoming engaged to fellow dancer James Derrick and signing with 7M Films, a content management company directly linked to the Shekinah Church.

While Miranda's parents believe she's trapped in a cult, Robert Shinn, founder of both 7M and Shekinah, has long denied any cult-like activity or nefarious behavior within either organization. The Netflix docuseries explores Miranda's rise to social media fame and the allegations made against Shinn and features interviews from Miranda's parents, sister Melanie and former Shekinah members.

Here's everything to know about Miranda Derrick and where she is today.

Who is Miranda Derrick?

Miranda was born Miranda Wilking on Feb. 24, 1997. She and her younger sister, Melanie, born April 12, 1999, grew up in suburban Michigan and loved dancing since they were toddlers.

"Miranda was always creative and very talented," Melanie said in Dancing for the Devil, adding that she looked up to Miranda and wanted to be like her. The girls' parents, teacher Dean and counselor Kelly Wilking, nurtured their love of dance and encouraged them to pursue it throughout their lives.

After Miranda graduated high school, she moved to Los Angeles to dance professionally. A year later, Melanie followed in Miranda's footsteps. They wanted to audition for projects together, but Melanie recalled that the sisters were told they couldn't stand next to each other in performances. Wanting to continue collaborating with one another, they pivoted their dream to dancing on YouTube and social media, and when TikTok launched, they fully embraced their brand as the Wilking Sisters, amassing more than 3 million followers.

Who is James Derrick?

In April 2019, Melanie recalled getting a DM from James "BDash" Derrick, an influential Krump ("Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise" dancer) who'd appeared on NBC's World of Dance. She, Miranda and James collaborated on a dance video, and then started a group chat. Melanie recalled in Dancing for the Devil that James eventually removed Melanie from the group chat and spoke just to Miranda, and the two eventually started dating.

That October, James spoke about his dance career with The Washington Post, explaining that social media empowers dancers to have more control over their art and their income instead of being seen as disposable in the entertainment industry.

"Dancers get done wrong," he said. "I wanna change that, 'cause it's not cool. So you've got to have people like me and the others say, 'We're stars, too.' That's why it's good to build your social media. It's all your work and your creativity. It's a new age."

Miranda and James' relationship grew more serious during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He hit it off with the rest of the family, periodically staying with the Wilkings at their Michigan home while social distancing.

In August 2021, James proposed to Miranda in a dance video, and they later married. Miranda posted photos from their wedding day on April 1, 2024, but didn't specify if it was their anniversary.

What happened to Miranda Derrick?

In 2020, James and Miranda began working with 7M Films, a management and content creation company owned and run by Robert Shinn. Shinn is also the leader of the Shekinah Church, and many of the 7M dancers lived in properties he owned.

Melanie recalled in Dancing for the Devil that James was very religious, and she believes Miranda joined Shekinah to stay close to him. Melanie did the same, but she said she soon felt uncomfortable with the level of control that Shinn had over her and the rest of the dancers. Meanwhile, Kelly said she noticed "thousands and thousands of dollars" in transactions from Miranda's accounts.

The Wilkings first suspected that something was wrong in January 2021, when Kelly's father died and Miranda refused to leave Los Angeles for his funeral. Kelly recalled in the docuseries that initially, Miranda told her family she had COVID-19, but Melanie claimed that Miranda didn't actually have COVID-19 but "just couldn't" leave and that Miranda "started bawling" when Melanie asked her why.

The family grew concerned after several subsequent attempts to reach Miranda went unanswered, eventually calling the police to check on her. Police called Kelly back and said Miranda seemed "totally fine" and was "with her friend," who turned out to be Kloe Shinn, Robert's daughter.

Dean flew to California to see Miranda and convince her to come to the funeral, and said in Dancing for the Devil that Miranda told him that she needed permission from "someone closer to God" to attend the funeral. Douglas said Miranda was "nonstop crying" because she was torn between her love for James, Shekinah and her family.

Soon, the Wilkings began researching the Shekinah Church and found other family members of 7M dancers who were also worried about the dancers being isolated from their loved ones. The families contacted a human trafficking hotline, but were told that there was little anyone could legally do since Miranda is an adult, but encouraged the Wilkings to keep lines of communication open with Miranda.

The family kept exchanging emails with Miranda, but alleged that none of the replies they received actually sounded like her. According to an Instagram Live video from the Wilkings, they lost almost all contact with Miranda in early 2021.

That December, Melanie attended a public dance show that Miranda performed in and saw Miranda for the first time since the split. She said Miranda was cold to her and showed "no emotion."

Is Miranda Derrick in a "cult"?

In a February 2022 video that the Wilkings released, they alleged that Miranda was part of a "cult" that was controlling her interactions with her family. After the video went viral, Miranda and James agreed to meet with Kelly and Dean, which Miranda filmed live. Dean and Kelly said on the live stream that they were excited to see Miranda and that they loved her, but didn't give her permission to film them further.

The same month, Miranda released a statement on TikTok denying that she was in a cult and claiming that the reason she wasn't speaking to her family was because they disapproved of her moving out of the apartment she shared with Melanie to move in with James.

"When I left, [my parents] decided to call the cops on James. Saying that my black boyfriend James kidnapped and abused me," she wrote, adding that she and the police laughed about the wellness check her parents called in for her. Miranda also accused Melanie of locking her out of the Wilking Sisters TikTok account they shared even though she still wanted to work with her sister.

In May 2024, Miranda told The Cut in a statement, "I am not held against my will and I've never been a hostage. I go to church and I have faith in God. If one day I wish to pursue my faith elsewhere, I will and feel completely free to do that. As far as my career, my time at 7M Films has been one of the most exciting years ever and if one day I wish to partner with a different management company or start my own company, I will. No one is forcing me to do anything." She also said she was disappointed in her family for not respecting her choices or her wishes to keep their feud private, but that she loved them "with all of [her] heart."

For its part, 7M said in a statement to Rolling Stone, "Miranda Derrick is a successful businesswoman and a loving wife and daughter who cares very much about her family. It is pathetic and contemptible to try to turn her private family matters into a tawdry public scandal for clicks and clout."

In March 2022, Miranda posted a TikTok video many interpreted to be mocking the claims that she was being held against her will, featuring James lurking in the background of several short snippets, alluding to her prior claim that her parents accused him of kidnapping her.

Where is Miranda Derrick now?

Miranda and her family still see and speak to each other occasionally, they claimed in Dancing for the Devil, under the condition that they cannot ask or speak about 7M or the Shekinah Church. She's posted several photos with her family during visits, including a video with Kelly for Mother's Day in May 2024 and another with Kelly and Melanie a month prior.

Melanie claimed in the documentary that their interactions seemed "superficial" and that they were used more for Miranda's social media presence than for genuine connection. Melanie also expressed apprehension at including Miranda as her maid of honor in her own upcoming wedding, and Miranda hasn't been documented in any of Melanie's social media posts of her bachelorette party or bridal shower.

The Wilkings have filed reports with the LAPD, FBI, IRS and attorney general to investigate Robert Shinn, but no criminal charges have been filed against him.

Miranda and James are still married and working with 7M in Los Angeles. The couple recently appeared as dancers in the 2024 remake of Road House starring Jake Gyllenhaal and share a dog.

Miranda didn't appear in Dancing for the Devil, but she says it has negatively impacted her life.

"Before this documentary, my husband and I — we felt safe,” she said in a video posted on Instagram in June 2024. “Now that this documentary is out, we feel like our lives have been put in danger. We have both been followed in our cars. We have received hate mail, death threats. People have been sending us messages to commit suicide. We’ve been stalked."

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