Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing Melanie Wilking desired with all her heart ever since she was a little girl, it was to become a professional dancer right alongside her 2 years elder sister Miranda Wilking. However, as carefully explored in Netflix’s ‘Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult,’ she never could’ve imagined everything would turn upside down just as they were beginning to shine. The Wilking Sisters was a legitimate brand this duo had lovingly, willingly created, only for an alleged cult masquerading as a church and talent management company to lure the latter away.
Melanie Wilking’s First Two Loves Were Her Sister and Dance
Although born and raised in a rather middle-class household in Michigan, Melanie and Miranda were happy kids since their parents did their best to provide for whatever it was their hearts desired and always encouraged them to follow their passions. That’s how the latter managed to relocate to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of being a dancer almost as soon as she graduated school, just for her sister, who first began dancing at age 2, to follow suit a year later. After all, ever since they were kids, they always dreamed of doing everything together, including evolving into professional dancers.
Melanie and Miranda hence began working together, only to establish the brand Wilking Sisters on TikTok once the social media app went live, unaware it’d soon shoot them to brand deals and collaborations. However, everything turned upside down shortly after the latter met James “BDash” Derrick, who introduced her to the Shinn and got her involved in the Shekinah church. They did invite Melanie for dinner and some sermons too, but once she was told she needed to not help a friend reach the airport and instead attend a sermon, she knew it wasn’t the right place for her and decided to step back.
But alas, little did Melanie know this would soon turn much worse as her sister would continue her association with them to such an extent she’d chosen to cut off all contact with family. The fact that even Miranda’s management firm, 7M Films, was handled by Robert only made things worse, especially as it meant he was responsible for all aspects of her life – mental, financial, and professional. However, she knew something was seriously wrong for sure when she refused to return home even to attend their grandfather’s funeral – their second father, whom they lovingly called Papa.
That’s when the entire Wilking family came forward to claim Miranda had been brainwashed as a part of a cult, that she wasn’t this person who ditched family or didn’t discuss life with them. They did eventually manage to reconnect owing to Robert recanting his earlier statement of “dying to the family” to cleanse them all of their sins and maintain limited communications. But, even as months passed by, Melanie was of the belief her emails and texts weren’t in her sister’s style, so she kept her eyes open until she realized almost all their interactions were social media, making her wonder if her sister was connecting with family or showing the world all is okay.
Where is Melanie Wilking Now?
Owing to the past three years, there was a time Melanie seriously considered not inviting her own sister to her wedding – they once dreamed of them being each other’s maid of honor, but not anymore. Nevertheless, knowing she’d regret it if she didn’t follow her heart, she did have Miranda as a guest when she tied the knot with the love of her life, NFL footballer Austin Ekeler, on May 25, 2024. This dancer and the Washington Commanders’ running back actually promised one another forever in a beautiful ceremony at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa while surrounded by 138 loved ones – they chose Las Vegas, Nevada, because it is now their home base.
“The Hilton has a beautiful garden and stunning view of the lake,” Melanie told People in an exclusive about the details of their nuptials. “A lake and garden in the desert are hard to come by, so we knew this was the venue.” The goal, she added, was to throw a fun party for all to enjoy, especially as “living far away from our families is not always easy, so having everyone in one place was really all we wanted.” We should also mention that while the couple shared traditional vows during their ceremony, with her wearing a beautiful A-line strapless Rivini by Rita Vinieris dress, they’d privately exchanged vows the night before too. Her wedding band is also extremely special to her since it once belonged to her great-great-grandmother and was passed on to her by her mother.
However, the one thing Melanie and Austin are most excited about as a married couple is not being long-distance anymore; they plan to stay in Virginia during the NFL season and in Vegas during the off-season. The former plans on continuing her individual career too, and it appears as if Nevada will only open more doors for this dancer, choreographer, and content creator, especially as she has mastered nearly all dance styles. The fact she has already danced for artists such as Jason Derulo as well as Bruno Mars, worked with brands like Amazon, Nike, plus MAC Cosmetics, and collaborated with countless peers (including her sister) gives her a lot of credibility too, as does the fact she currently has millions of followers across all social media platforms.
Read More: What is Robert Shinn’s Net Worth?
