TikTok star’s family says she’s being held hostage in a dance cult

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Miranda Derrick’s parents and sister said they haven’t seen the social media star in more than a year, were blindsided by her marriage to another social media dance star James Derrick, and that she is being “brainwashed” by her management firm 7M Films that is linked to the Seven Mountain Mandate Pentecostal movement. Miranda Derrick has denied claims from her family that she is being held hostage by a religious cult In a viral Instagram video posted on 22 February, Melanie Wilking and her parents allege the management firm is preventing them from seeing Derrick and tearfully beg her to come home. “To everyone who has reached out asking if I’m OK and involved in a religious cult thank you so much for your concern but I am not involved in a religious cult.” Miranda Derrick addressed claims she was being held hostage by a religious cult in a series of posts to her Instagram Miranda Derrick says her family called the police to falsely claim she had been kidnapped Miranda Derrick said she was forced to speak out about her family’s claims Miranda Derrick said she cut off contact with her family after they called the police claiming her “black boyfriend” had kidnapped her. In a separate response to her family’s concerns, Derrick posted an Instagram video in January of herself dancing to the Billy Joel song My Life along with the caption: “This is my life, leave me alone.” Melanie Wilking posted a response to the clip on her TikTok account, which claimed her sister is involved in a cult.