Netflix viewers share 'heartbreaking' moment from Dancing for the Devil doc they say was 'hard' to watch
It's the true crime hit that seems to be on everyone's lips at the moment, but viewers of latest Netflix addition Dancing for the Devil have been left devastated by one particular moment.
For those who haven't yet had a chance to binge their way through the often-harrowing three-part social media thriller, allow us to fill you in.
The series which landed last week - full name Dancing For The Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult - tells the story of a group of high-profile TikTok dancers who, back in 2019, became trapped in what many have accused of being a cult masquerading as a management company called 7M Films.
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Among the numerous social media stars that appear on the show are Melanie and Priscylla Lee, who'd actually been part of the group when it was primarily considered a Shekinah Church, which was run by pastor Robert Shinn.
Young Korean immigrants Melanie and Priscylla quickly integrated with the group, packing up their belongings, leaving their family home and moving in with their fellow church-goers.
In the years that followed, however, the 'church' partially transformed into a Los Angeles-based 7M Films management firm, which later signed talent that shot to fame following the rise of TikTok.
Several social media stars - including Miranda Derrick and Melanie Wilking - were adopted into the group following the success of the innovative dance routines they shared on the app.
At the height of the group's prominence, however, members were reportedly encouraged to cut off their family members.
Former members of the group have since accused Robert of being responsible for sexual, emotional and financial abuse at the time - which he denies.
In 2011, Melanie thought it best to distance herself from the group.
She eventually left the church and escaped home, hoping to bring her sister Priscylla with her.
Sadly, however, Priscylla refused to leave her newfound family, leading their pair to be separated for over a decade.
It wasn't until 2021 that the sisters reunited, with a 'heartbreaking' conversation between the duo airing on the new documentary.
In the heated debate, the pair recall the heartache of being separated, with Melanie claiming she now finds it impossible to bond with Priscylla due to her reluctancy to open up about her experience in the group.
"I asked you when I left Shekinah to come with me," Melanie explains. "And you said, 'No, I'm going to stay', and that goes down in my book as one of the moments when my heart was truly broken, because I knew if I leave you there, I didn't know when I was going to see you again."
Priscylla then hit out at her sister for putting pressure on her to show up on time to her daughter's birthday party.
Breaking down in tears, she told Melanie: "I told you everyday I want to die, and you want me to f**king be on time when it's your daughter's birthday and say 'I'm sorry' when I'm late.
"I either show up or I kill myself, which one do you want me to do?"
And it seems as though viewers were hit hard by the heartbreaking moment, with one tweeting: "This scene from the Netflix docu-series Dancing for the Devil moved me the most. Absolutely gut-wrenching and sobering moment between two sisters"
Another went on: "Just finished watching this documentary on Netflix. This scene/conversation was just raw and gut-wrenching to watch."
"So I just finished this & this and the part with Priscylla and her dad were hard to watch. Hope they all get the justice they are looking for," added a third.
Another claimed: "It devastated me ngl"
Robert Shinn denied all allegations made against him and has not faced any formal criminal charges, and filed defamation and libel lawsuits against ex-members who joined a cross-complaint accusing 'Shinn, his wife, their entities and other affiliated individuals' of 'fraud, forced labor and human trafficking, as well as Robert of sexual battery'.
And in a statement given to Tyla today, his wife Hannah Shinn said on behalf of 7M: "The Netflix docuseries is a slanderous work of fiction, born from a failed extortion attempt, and invented for the sole purpose of gaining fame and fortune.
"Two years ago, Melanie Lee Goldman, Priscylla Leigh aka Elisha Priscylla Leigh and their co-conspirators launched a concerted smear campaign to defame Robert Shinn, his family, and his business associates after Mr. Shinn did not capitulate to Ms. Leigh’s extortion demands.
"Despite sworn statements from co-conspirators that confirm the scheme by Ms. Goldman and Ms. Leigh to disseminate widespread lies, Netflix recklessly provided a global platform to peddle a false narrative that is at the center of ongoing litigation.
"We will continue to pursue all legal remedies available to stop the spread of salacious lies and expect to be fully vindicated in court."
Topics: True Crime, Crime, Netflix, TV And Film, Documentaries
Rhianna Benson