"I am simply a woman endeavoring to live my life. I refuse to see myself as a victim," declared the TikTok star.
Miranda Derrick is expressing her viewpoint in response to the release of the Netflix docuseries *Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult*, which implied her participation in a supposed cult.
On Tuesday, June 4, the TikTok star denied allegations made by her family and others who have criticized Robert Shinn's 7M organization, the focus of the series.
"Hey everyone, I hope you're having an amazing day! I just wanted to quickly come on here and, first and foremost, thank everyone who has shown support during this time," she started in a video posted to her Instagram Stories.
Derrick refrained from "going into too much detail due to legal reasons," but she wanted to present her perspective after the series premiered on May 29.
In the two subsequent posts, Derrick shared screenshots of her detailed statement.
“I want to begin by expressing my gratitude for the concern shown for my well-being. Due to ongoing litigation, where I am a plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit, it is not appropriate for me to comment on specific allegations. However, I want to clearly state that I do not condone abuse in any form,” the influencer wrote.
“I love my Mom, Dad, and Melanie, and they will always be a part of my life. The truth is, we just don't see eye to eye right now. I believe this documentary presents a one-sided story,” she stated, adding, “I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 2020 and initially asked my family for some space to gather my thoughts and process the new spiritual journey I wanted to embark on with God.”
In the Netflix documentary, Shinn is presented as the founder of Shekinah Church and 7M Films, both of which Derrick is associated with. Shinn’s companies offered hair styling, makeup, wardrobe, cameras, crews, equipment, and mansion backdrop settings for TikTok stars.
After Derrick's sister Melanie Wilking and their parents alleged in a 2022 Instagram Live video that Derrick was in a cult, other families, former 7M Films dancers, and former Shekinah Church members also raised accusations against Shinn and the church. Shinn, 7M Films, and the Shekinah Church have denied these allegations.
Prior to becoming members of 7M and Shekinah, Derrick and Wilking had gained a significant online audience under the name The Wilking Sisters.
In her statement on Tuesday, Derrick asserted that she created her own social media account solely because Wilking "had logged me out of our shared account, and when I requested access, she denied it to me."
Derrick also spoke about missing her grandfather's funeral, refuting her family's claims in the documentary that 7M was somehow responsible for preventing her attendance.
The influencer mentioned that during Christmas 2020, their family received news that her grandfather didn't have much time left to live. As a result, she and her sister visited him.
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"Before we went into the hospital to bid our final farewells, I began to pray for our Papa in the car, and Melanie became offended, expressing anger towards me, instructing me to stop and never pray around her," Derrick wrote. Regarding his funeral, she explained her decision not to attend, stating, "I chose not to go because I was being harassed and felt threatened by my family."
Derrick expressed, "I am simply a woman striving to live my life. I am not a victim, I am not in any danger, I am not experiencing abuse. I have never solicited help from my family or anyone else. Respectfully, the decisions I make regarding my life are my own."