TikToker Melanie Wilking Reacts After Sister Miranda Derrick Calls Out Netflix's Cult Docuseries

Melanie Wilking is telling her side of the story.

After her sister Miranda Derrick shared a statement regarding her involvement in 7M Films—a management company that's the subject of the Netflix docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult—alleging the story was one-sided and that her family was never supportive of her religious journey, Melanie is firing back.

"They were reached out to many times," Melanie told Access Hollywood of Miranda and her husband James Derrick's claim they weren't included in the doc. "And declined every time."

And on whether Melanie and her family weren't supportive of Miranda's dedicating her life to God beginning in 2020, the 25-year-old added, "At that point we knew she was in a cult, so of course we are going to have our guard up."

Melanie also explained that after attending some events with the organization, she was able to see things about 7M she felt Miranda overlooked.

"I went to two of their private dinners and two of the services that you have to be invited to, and I picked up on all these red flags," she explained. "So when she's saying that we weren't supportive, it was because I was seeing what she wasn't seeing. I was seeing that they wanted to, because I wasn't going anymore, they wanted to rip us apart. And sure enough look where we are."

The dancer was also sure to point out that her family's objections hinged on Miranda's involvement with pastor Robert Shinn, who ran 7M Films Shekinah Church and is currently in civil litigation with several former members of the organization.

In 2022, Shinn filed a defamation lawsuit against a former church member, who denied the allegations. She countersued him in march 2023, along with several other former church members named as plaintiffs, and alleged in the filing that "Shekinah is a cult operating under the disguise of a religious institution," Rolling Stone reported. Shinn has denied the allegations in court papers obtained by NBC News. No charges have been filed and the case is ongoing.

Melanie said of her sister's religious interest, "Of course if she was you know wanting to further her spiritual journey in in a way that wasn't with someone like Robert, that would be fantastic. But we knew the situation and we were trying to avoid all this."  

Following the release of Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult on May 27, and the subsequent scrutiny on the organization, Miranda took to social media to share an update.

"I love my Mom, Dad and Melanie and they will forever be a part of my life," Miranda wrote on her Instagram Stories June 4. "The truth is, we just don't see eye to eye at this time. I believe that this documentary is a one-sided story. I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 2020 and asked my family for some space in the very beginning to collect my thoughts and process my new walk I wanted to take with God."

Noting her family "are not religious," Miranda claimed they felt her choice to go to church twice a week indicative of her having joined a cult.

"I have been getting together with them over the past couple years to make amends, move on and work things out as a family," the 27-year-old continued. "This documentary has created a further challenge between us as I work to overcome this public attack. No one likes to be portrayed as their brainwashed/not in control of her own life/shell of herself/human trafficked daughter/sister when that just isn't the truth."

Miranda also took issue with being labeled a victim, adding, "I can't convince anyone to believe anything. I am just a woman trying to live my life. Respectfully, what I choose to do with my life is up to me."

In a June 4 statement to E! News, 7M Films called the docuseries "a slanderous work of fiction, born from a failed extortion attempt, and invented for the sole purpose of gaining fame and fortune."

The statement continued, "We will continue to pursue all legal remedies available to stop the spread of salacious lies and expect to be fully vindicated in court."

E! News has reached out to Shekinah Church regarding the docuseries but has not heard back.