Since January 2021, a popular TikToker claims that an entertainment business has kidnapped her sister and previous collaborator Miranda Wilking Derrick.
Miranda, a Los Angeles-based dancer, allegedly joined a religious cult and cut herself apart from her family and friends, according to the Twitter account (@msbigmilk). In the thread, the Twitter user shared a video that the dancer posted to her TikTok account, letting her family and friends know that she is fine, despite the fact that she hasn’t seen them in over a year and their reaction.
“This is Miranda Derrick—she is a dancer & her family says she is trapped in a cult in Los Angeles,” the video stated. “She & her sister became famous through TikTok and Instagram dance videos.”
Miranda is shown dancing outside in an open field to Billy Joel’s “My Life” throughout the video.
“All of this changed when she became with a church and her new husband B-dash,” the video continued. “Her family says she walked away from everyone—family, friends, management & her whole life to live in a cult that produces dance videos via 7mFilms Management. After Miranda appeared on Ellen, her family went live to express their fears and concerns for Miranda.”
The film then cuts to a clip of Miranda’s parents and sister, Melanie Wilking, discussing the cult in their home.
“The church won’t let people in or out. They don’t have a website & only people invited can attend,” the video said. “Miranda will not respond or contact her family. The church made her cut off all contact with everyone. All the videos she makes with dancers are alleged victims of the cult.”
The Michigan-born Wilking sisters started their careers on a shared YouTube channel, according to Gawker. With their sister-centric dances and cheery demeanor, the twins blew up on TikTok in 2020, gaining over 3 million followers.
Melanie and her parents claim Miranda is being held captive by an organization called 7M Films, an offshoot of a Pentecostal sect that believes in the Seven Mountain Mandate, in an Instagram Live.
The organization’s official website merely states that it is a film production firm that “develops and creates content” as well as managing talent.
“7M Films, Inc. is a multifaceted organization with both a film production company that develops and produces content,” the site reads. “and a talent management company that represents some of the top social media influencers in the world.”
The Seven Mountain Mandate is based on the Bible verse Isaiah 2:2, from which “a group of self-proclaimed ‘apostles’ have a plan rooted in biblical prophecy to ‘invade’ every sphere of life as we know it,” according to an Outline story. Followers of 7M believe that the key facets of life are education, religion, family, business, government, entertainment, and media, and that it is their responsibility to eliminate demons and witchcraft within those
Miranda responded to her family’s charges on her Instagram story. She alleged that her sister Melanie “kicked [her] out of the 3.1 million followers TikTok account that [she] originally started and had Melanie join.”
Miranda added, “I can speak for James and our friends who are in 7M that they DO speak to their families (so what you guys have heard about 7M dancers not speaking to their families is a complete lie). It’s just a unique situation with my family….”
It’s unknown whether Miranda is a victim of a dangerous cult or simply chooses to live apart from her family, but her story has captivated the world, and we’ll all be watching.
