Netflix's new docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult told the story of Shekinah Church pastor Robert Shinn and his cult of TikTok dancers.
[ Dancing for the Devil Netflix Cast: Meet the People In 7M TikTok Cult Documentary Series (Photos) ]
The True Story of Dancing for the Devil
Dancing for the Devil dives into 7M Films - a Los Angeles-based talent management company founded in 2021 by Robert Shinn - which faced serious allegations regarding the treatment of their talent.
The allegations against 7M Films and Shinn include alienation, brainwashing, and mismanagement of finances.
Its website proclaimed how 7M Films represents "some of the top social media influencers in the world." Internet personality Miranda Derrick was among those who became part of the cult-like group.
The first allegations of 7M Films being a cult came from Derrick's family, who stated in 2021 that she had been absent since joining the agency. A representative for 7M responded to the cult allegations in the Daily Mail, stating that the recent portrayals of Shinn were "wildly offensive and riddled with inaccuracies:"
"The false and sensational allegations about 7M stem directly from a dispute between 7M-represented dancer Miranda Derrick and her estranged family. While the recent portrayals of Dr Robert Shinn and 7M Films have been wildly offensive and riddled with inaccuracies, those false claims will not deter 7M from supporting Miranda in whichever endeavours she chooses to pursue next."
In a 2022 statement on Instagram from 7M Films, the agency maintained there are no affiliations between the two organizations run by Shinn and "any claims to the contrary are simply wrong:
"The Shekinah Church and 7M are run and operated separately from each other... You do not have to be a member of the Shekinah Church to be represented by 7M, nor do you have to be represented by 7M to be a member of the Shekinah Church. Any claims to the contrary are simply wrong."
Where Is Dancing for the Devil's Robert Shinn Today?
According to Dancing for the Devil, no charges have yet been brought against Robert Shinn.
The series (via Cosmopolitan) ended with a statement saying how "Robert and his co-defendants deny the claims against them:"
"No criminal charges have been brought against Shinn. He has previously denied sexually abusing any member of Shekinah or any client of 7M. The civil lawsuit is ongoing. Robert and his co-defendants deny the claims against them. The case is set to go to trial in 2025."
While Shinn has also been accused of sexually abusing three dancers from 7M Films, the case is not set to go to trial until 2025 according to Dancing for the Devil.
Details of the lawsuit (shared by Rolling Stone) stated that "Shekinah is a cult operating under the guise of a religious institution."
It went on to explain how Shinn threatened that members' "lives will be cursed" if they didn't submit entirely to both him and Shekinah:
"Shekinah is a cult operating under the guise of a religious institution. Robert refers to himself as ‘the Man of God’ and preaches to Shekinah members and that [sic] without submitting to him and without Shekinah, their lives will be cursed. Robert required full physical and economic and control [sic] over Shekinah members."
On the front of the Shekinah Church, there are no signs to indicate the operation has been shut down. However, as the church never maintained much of an online presence and was an invite-only group, that is far tougher to guarantee.
The official website for 7M Films remains active and the copyright has been updated for 2024, indicating the controversial talent agency has not been defunct after the latest allegations and Netflix docuseries.
Dancing for the Devil is streaming now on Netflix.
