EXCLUSIVE: Abby Lee Miller on Why She's Having Gastric Sleeve Surgery Just Weeks Before Prison Sentencing
Former Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller is waiting to receive sentencing on fraud charges, but that's not keeping her from going under the knife to get gastric sleeve surgery before she possibly goes to prison.
Speaking with ET's Cameron Mathison recently, Miller revealed why she decided to undergo the operation during this already trying period in her life.
"I think this is the right time," Miller explained. "People are saying, 'But your sentencing is coming up in a couple weeks!' And that is true, and I’m really nervous about that -- more than the surgery -- but there's no right time."
According to Miller, she feels that her tumultuous circumstances are actually a message from the universe.
"Maybe this is some miraculous way somebody's telling me, 'Hey go for it, do it now so that whatever happens, maybe you'll be a little bit healthier, maybe you'll be a little bit more in shape.' Who knows?" Miller, who was operated on by Dr. Michael Russo at the Smart Dimensions Surgical Center in Newport Beach, California, shared.
The reality star claims that she tried several times to eat healthier and stick to a socially conscious diet while filming Dance Moms, but said that she got no support from the production.
"I try to be vegan… I really, really try. I don’t eat any red meat and the whole animal thing really upsets me so I’ve tried," she explained. "But even on the TV show, they would laugh in my face."
"They wouldn't care if I was trying to be vegan, they wouldn't get a special vegan meal or anything," she continued. "They just laughed and would hand me a hoagie sandwich or Italian sub from somewhere."
The dance instructor said it's because of behavior like this that she has no interest in going back to work on the Lifetime docuseries.
"I’ve just had it. I’ve had it with the lack of respect," Miller, 50, continued. "[In their eyes] I’m still some Podunk dance teacher from Pittsburgh that they saved and that's not who I ever was. That's not who I am. It's not that I’ve changed,it's just they never realized it."
Lifetime had no comment on Miller's accusations.
That doesn't mean she wouldn't like to return to reality TV, however. Miller said she's "been to some meetings" recently that could lead to some new opportunities.
"I found myself in a room full of people and actually, these big time execs are trying to sell themselves to me! It's usually the other way around," she said. "It's been quite exciting."
Miller also said that she hasn't totally closed the door on Dance Moms either, but that some big changes would need to be implemented before she'd consider it.
"I would love to go back, but it would have to change," Miller shared. "There has to be a sense of respect. There has to be a creative credit."
Tune in to ET on Monday for our full interview with Miller. Check your local listings here.
For more on Miller's sleeve gastrectomy operation, check out the video below.