- You sat there and told me
do whatever I have to do
to get Christi out of there!
- You know what? You're a low class piece of (bleep).
I'm Christi Lukasiak, an OG Dance Mom.
And on this episode of Dance Moms Epic Showdowns-
- Holly, be quiet for once
and listen to what I'm saying! [indistinct yelling]
- It's reunion madness.
- You're messing with my professional reputation,
calling me a cheater? Cuckoo!
- Watch as accusations fly.
Fact is, you can't stand it
when Chloe succeeds 'cause you try to hold her down.
- Are you kidding?
- And walk-offs threaten to shut down production.
I'm done. I am done.
- You're a liar! You're a liar!
- [Jill] She can dish it out, but she can't take it.
- Bye. Thank you all for coming.
- [Christi] This is Dance Moms Epic Showdowns Reunion Madness.
You know what? I think you need to get Jill out here
because I'm not sitting here fighting with Abby and Melissa
'cause nobody ever has my back, Jeff.
- She is, like, twisted.
- It's no secret that I was Abby's favorite punching bag.
- You are an uneducated mess.
Keep talking, Christi. Keep it up.
I think you're an (bleep).
- And Maddie's mom, Melissa, was more than happy
to use that to her advantage.
- Don't start with me again.
- [Christi] You did! - You know what?
- I know, storm out, we love it.
- I am storming out because
this is not being brought up. Screw you!
- So by the time we were ready
to film the Seeing Red reunion,
I was more than ready to tell my side.
- There seems to be a lot of competition
between you and Melissa.
And you have always said that Melissa
is in this for herself.
- Oh, yeah.
I said Melissa was a liar from the beginning.
- [Jeff] Explain to us what it was that happened.
- When Paige and Chloe had a duet in New York,
they brought Kalani secretly to come to New York
to compete with Maddie.
The problem was the lies.
And Chloe had said to Maddie, are you doing your duet?
And Maddie's like, no.
We're not doing it at this competition.
They're teaching Maddie to lie to make,
you are teaching her to lie.
And that is a shame because she's a good kid.
- Oh, and you're so good at teaching Chloe that yourself.
- [Jeff] So let's get Melissa out here
because I really wanna hear what she has to say.
Come on out.
[audience applauding]
- You know what? I think you need to get Jill out here too,
because I'm not sitting here fighting with Abby and Melissa
'cause nobody ever has my back, Jeff.
Holly, too. 'Cause Holly's been on the short end
of the stick this season, just like the rest of us.
Because I'm sick and tired of battling alone.
Let me know. Nope! Let me know when Jill and Holly get here,
because you people put me in this situation all the time.
I am done!
- She is, like, twisted.
- There was no way I was gonna let these two team up on me.
So when I returned, I brought reinforcements.
- [Jeff] Christi's back.
She's got
Jill and Holly.
[crowd applauding]
So Melissa, did you hear what Christi said about you
and the lie and whether or not you are teaching
Maddie to lie?
- I'm not teaching my daughter to lie.
Chloe asked Maddie if she was doing the duet at the
studio, not the competition.
And Maddie knew nothing about it at the studio. Nothing.
- Here's the thing. Maddie knew.
It just would've made everything-
- So you're calling my daughter a liar? But she's not liar.
- No, I'm not. I think she knew.
I think Abby and you both allowed her to not tell.
- It's my dance company. It's my business.
Who dances is up to me.
- Let's take a look at the moment
everybody's talking about.
- Well, Melissa, I didn't hear any special announcement
that they weren't being adjudicated, liar.
- I wasn't a liar. I asked Abby. I was not a liar.
- [Kelly] You lie all the time, Melissa.
And now you're having your kid lie.
- [Melissa] I did not!
- Maddie lied to Chloe's face upstairs.
- Yes, yes she did.
In the dressing, yes, she did.
- I asked Abby if they could be adjudicated.
- [Christi] Okay.
- It's up to her. She's the dance teacher.
- So Abby, what was your reason for not telling them?
- We wanted to secure the win. It was them.
- Well, you know what?
Had you not done it, Chloe and Paige came in second.
They would've secured your win.
- Their history proves that they don't.
- They did. It doesn't matter.
- They got lucky.
- Oh, see, they got lucky. See how that woman is?
That was one of the things I loved about reunions.
Exposing Abby in front of a live studio audience. Eww.
- [Kelly] Well, I'm not a wacko.
- Your eyes say something different.
- The drama between Kelly and Abby
had been brewing all season long.
- I pay for costumes and props and I don't get them.
I've been here all day making costumes for you!
- By the time we got to the Hurricane Abby reunion,
Kelly and Abby's tension had been hmm,
I don't know, category five?
And in this epic reunion showdown,
my money was on my partner in crime Kelly.
- So Kelly, you've been more defiant
than we've ever seen you before.
You seem to be more than willing to be combative with Abby.
Let's take a look at Kelly in action.
- [Kelly] I'm supposed to sit here.
- I'm not moving. Go around.
- I could stand here all day.
- I'm sitting there having this confrontation with Kelly,
trying to ignore her.
And now this nincompoop is holding up
the entire competition.
- You really want me to climb over a seat in a dress?
I pay her for her service
and she doesn't own this dance competition.
If I wanna go there and I wanna support my team,
then I'm going, I'm done taking her (bleep).
- Right. There's a thousand seats in here.
Put your butt in one. Not this one.
- The producers tell me that you stood there
for 30 minutes.
- I did.
- [Jeff] It was like a standoff.
- I'm sitting there and the entire judging panel
has turned to look at me,
including the people in the wings
are now looking at me on stage. We're in Orlando, Florida.
- Wondering why you won't stand up and let the person in.
That's what you do in an auditorium. You stand up-
- No, you arrive on time.
- [Kelly] And let the other person walk in and sit down.
- And if you are late upon arrival, you are seated
when there's an intermission.
- The music stops in between dances.
That's when you go in and sit down.
And that is what I did. I was there for my children.
- No. Right.
- And my teammates.
- So stick your butt in a seat and shut your mouth.
- The Hurricane Abby reunion was off to a stormy start.
- You still think I'm 12, I'm 42.
I'm paying you for a service.
- You are not paying me on Sunday
to be in a dance competition!
- And then when Leslie called Kelly a studio hopper,
things really went off the rails.
- Do we wanna bring up why I leave?
- You are solely responsible.
- That's why I leave.
- It is your behavior.
- Because I take responsibility.
- You are responsible for their decline in their dancing.
- And that's why I leave. Because you treat them
the way you do, so I pull them out.
- Let's switch gears for just a second
and lighten the mood. - Wacko!
- Did you just say I was a wacko?
- No, I said if you want to get off the show, you can.
- Because if you wanna go, no, no, no, wait a minute.
She can sit there and say I should be admitted as a wacko?
- No, I did not say that.
I said, if you wanna get off, you can.
- Okay, well I'm not a wacko.
- Your eyes say something different.
- And once again, Abby was a giant baby
and exited stage left.
- [Jeff] Abby, hold on. Where are you going?
- But eventually, like everybody else, she agreed
to come back on one condition.
- We've come to an agreement to have Abby come back.
And Kelly, unfortunately, I need to ask you to leave
because that was the agreement that we came to.
- Can I go too?
- [Jeff] No, you may not. [Kelly laughing]
We're gonna find out Abby's side of the story,
but we would prefer that you excuse yourself at this point.
So thank you very much for coming.
[audience applauding]
I asked Kelly to leave so that we could come back
and hear your side of the story
because I know she upset you,
you know, when she was out here before.
- No, she just is always the victim
and everybody's mean to her kids.
I love those two kids like they were my own.
She has put this wedge in between us.
- Always playing the blame game
and never taking accountability.
Yeah, that sounds like Abby.
- [choking up] Maddie.
I just have to give you a hug.
You're my best friend.
- This epic showdown's breather is brought to you by
Reunion of Tears, where Maddie and Mackenzie's final goodbye
finally brings everyone together.
- I actually can't believe that it's time to say goodbye
to Maddie and Mackenzie.
All right, Nia, any final words for the girls?
- I just don't even remember life without you guys.
I'm gonna really miss you guys.
- Maddie, honestly, when I first came,
you were really nice to me.
And I remember the first week you were gone and I was there
and I had to fill your shoes.
But like-
- That's impossible.
- It's literally impossible.
And I want you to know that I love you.
Kenzie, we've had some great memories.
Love you guys.
- [choking up] Maddie.
I just have to give you a hug.
- I just wanna thank all of you guys
for being such great sisters to me.
And I can't imagine life without you guys.
- If anything, you guys are the only people I can count on.
Like you guys are just my best friends.
- Guys. I'm just saying right now, we all look so ugly.
[audience laughing]
- Aw, at least our kids have nice, healthy relationships.
But now, back to the mayhem.
- No, nope. You're very defensive and you shouldn't be.
- Because you're lying!
[dramatic music]
- By the time we shot the City of Angels reunion,
the ALDC had moved to LA.
- [Abby] I really don't think these moms have any clue
how much work goes into managing their children
and networking them around Hollywood.
And it really burns me up.
- So Abby complaining hadn't changed,
but Jill got into an epic showdown at the reunion
with Holly about going "Hollywood".
- Of the moms here, I think Holly, in my mind,
has changed the most.
- Yes.
- Has gone totally like flipped. Totally different.
And she's all Hollywood, off and running.
- I took Nia's passion, her desire when we came out
to LA and what she wanted to do,
and I treated it how I would approach a job.
How are we gonna be strategic? How are we going to network?
No different. There is nothing wrong with what I've done.
- Okay. Holly has a lot going on outside of what we do here.
And Holly's always late because
she's off with Nia doing something.
- Oh, that's not true. How dare you? Always late? Ooh.
[audience laughing]
Nia has done and fulfilled all of her schoolwork.
- Okay. You miss school and other things
to take advantage of opportunities.
- [Jess] No. You miss school in the morning
and then you do it in the afternoon.
- Absolutely, always make it up.
- Okay. But when we were all together,
you were out making opportunities
for your child doing something else.
It never used to be like that.
Don't be so defensive!
- Oh, falsifying information.
- No. Nope. You're very defensive and you shouldn't be.
- Because you're lying!
- At the reunions, most of our epic showdowns
happened over old grudges.
And Jill really leaned into that.
- I think Holly, in my mind, has changed the most.
- Yes.
- Has gone all Hollywood, off and running.
- And Jill came for Holly for putting herself and Nia
before the rest of the team.
- I said she didn't show up.
- [Holly] She did!
- Holly, be quiet for once and listen to what I'm saying.
- She went to school when she was supposed to after.
- Holly, be quiet for once and listen to what I'm saying.
- You know what? I'm not gonna have her-
- [Jill] Be quiet for once. - [Jeff] Okay, hold on.
- [Jill] She will never be quiet
because she can never listen to what anybody else says.
- If she is going to talk about Nia not going to school,
which is a lie.
- [Jill] I'm not talking about Nia.
- You are, you just said.
- [Jill] I said you, Holly!
- [Producer] Hold on, Holly.
- I'm not. 'Cause that's a lie.
- [Producer] I understand. - Holly, I did not lie.
- If she is going to talk about Nia not going to school,
I'm not doing it.
- [Producer] I think you've made your point. Holly...
- No!
- [Producer] I think you made your point.
- [Holly] You know what?
- Bye bye, Holly!
[crowd cheering]
- [Holly] Jill, own that!
- [Jill] That's fine.
- You're a liar.
- She can dish it out, but she can't take it.
- Oh, she can take it.
And in typical Holly fashion,
she kept her cool and had the last word.
- [Producer] Holly, I don't think you should leave.
I think you should have a seat.
And let's finish the show really quick, okay?
- So Holly, do you think your approach is working for Nia?
- It seems to be working. I'm very happy. I have no regrets.
- Unless we're talking about Holly putting up
with Abby's crap all those years.
- [Ashley] Let's talk about Tammy.
[dramatic music]
- Bye. Thank you all for coming.
- Everyone knew Abby's biggest rule.
You never mention another studio by name,
especially her biggest rival, Tammy and Studio 19.
Studio 19. Studio 19. Studio 19!
- And at The Return of the ALDC reunion,
Presley's mom Ashley opened her big mouth.
- [Ashley] Let's talk about Tammy.
- Am I finished now? Do I get to leave? I think I do.
Bye. Thank you all for coming.
[dramatic season]
- [Ashley] Thanks for a great season.
Why are you leaving?
- [Stacey] You're not allowed to say Tammy.
- All right. You gonna make me walk in the heels?
- [Tricia] Oh, God. Abby.
- [Ashley] I don't understand why you leaving.
- [Tricia] Abby, come on. We're almost done.
Just finish this. What are you doing?
- What just happened?
- It's her rival studio.
We know that if we say the name
of the studio, that she leaves.
- [Joanne] If we say Tammy, the name of her rival studio,
- Sure.
- We are like- [imitates knife slashing]
- Producers had to step in to talk Abby off the ledge,
but she wouldn't budge.
- [Producer] Abby, you can't leave!
- [Abby] This is the United States of America.
Try to hold me.
- Abby, I don't even understand why you're leaving.
- I just asked that police officer
if I had to stay and he said no.
- So if we can, ladies, I just, I want to,
what happened when you went out there?
- She's gone. - She's upset.
- I don't even know why she's upset.
- But specifically because of the rival studio talk?
- Correct. 'Cause she said her name.
- Because I said Tammy's name.
- [Producer] So why can't we talk about that?
They're gonna see all that.
- Because I'm not gonna be on a show
where you're talking about someone that
is potentially a competitor in Pittsburgh.
- Will you come back and just say,
put an end to it and let's move on?
- [Abby] No, no. I'm not saying another word.
- Somehow, Producer Brian always knew what to say
to calm Abby down.
- Oh, hi. Protect me please? I've had it with this.
- [Producer] Guys, Abby's coming back in the building.
- Oh yay!
- Are you ready?
- I was born ready, babe.
- [Christi] And just like that, the show goes on.
- I think that you're loud mouth.
- A loud mouth?!
[dramatic music]
- Studio 19 was always a pain,
but the ALDC's biggest rival, Cathy
and her Candy Apples, were a pain in the ass.
And for good reason.
- [Cathy] Did you come in the big crappy bus
from Pittsburgh?
Oh my God, that yellow bracelet is horrendous.
- Cathy, go to hell.
- So when Cathy showed up at the Off the Dance Floor
reunion, we were more than happy to take our best shot.
- [Jeff] So ladies, I got a question for you.
When I say the name Cathy from Candy Apples,
tell me what pops into your mind.
- [Abby] Witch.
- Holly?
- Silly.
- Little shoes, just [imitates shuffling]
- [Jeff] Christi? - Jerky.
- [Jeff] Kelly? - Stalker.
- [Jeff] Jill? - Annoying.
- A special individual.
- That's what every body says. Is Cathy really that crazy?
- She's like a cartoon character.
- She's like a twerky,
she's like the coyote.
You know, like you know they're never gonna catch
Roadrunner, but they're gonna try to throw an anvil on her.
- That's exactly right.
- Little did we know she was waiting in the wings.
- [Jeff] So Cathy, come on out.
[Kelly cackling]
- At the Off the Dance Floor reunion,
we were all having a ball trashing our biggest rival,
Cathy from the Candy Apples.
- Can I just say she's special?
She's like a special-
- And for once, we were all in agreement.
- [Abby] Witch. - Annoying.
- Silly. - Stalker.
- Jerky. - Little shoes just
[imitates shuffling]
- And then, poof. She appeared.
- [Jeff] So Cathy, come on out.
[Kelly cackling]
[women cheering]
- [Christi] Sassy!
- [Melissa] Gorgeous.
- How's my little Pittsburgh babes?
- And before we knew it, Cathy did what she did best,
by being the absolute worst.
- Good, healthy rivalry is fine,
but for some reason you turn it into vindictive vicious.
Abby, I think I have way more class than you do.
I think that you're a loud mouth.
- A loud mouth?!
- [Jeff] So Cathy, in the time that you spent
at the Abby Lee Dance Company,
what did you walk away with?
[Cathy laughing]
- Abby clearly has different tactics than I do.
I am very nurturing. She is very aggressive.
She is not nice to her customers.
I think that one of the reasons why I have
much more clientele at my studio is because
I'm a business person as well as a dance, I'm not done.
So close your mouth and pull your finger back.
- Business first, talent second.
- [Cathy] Pull your finger back.
- I'm the other way around.
- [Cathy] No, that's not true.
- Let me settle this. They are both irritating.
The fact is, you can't stand it when Chloe succeeds
'cause you try to hold her down.
- Are you kidding?
- By the time we got to the Playing Favorites reunion,
tension between Abby and me was at an all-time high,
especially when we had to relive this scene,
which just made matters worse.
We're not jealous of anyone.
- Yes, you are. And your kid doesn't have the technique.
She does!
- No. You know what, Abby, go ahead.
Say awful things about my daughter.
- [Abby] They know Chloe here at Starpower.
- How dare you say things about my kid!
What, are you gonna run to the judges
and argue like you did last time?
- [Abby] No.
- Oh, I bet you are. You know why?
Because you're classless. Take a hike.
- Don't talk about class, sweetheart.
- [Christi] Take a hike.
- Don't, I'm not taking a hike.
- You know what? You're nowhere near Chloe's league.
You're down here.
She has more class in her little finger
at 13 than you have 45.
- [Jeff] How do you feel about that?
- I think she goes for the jugular
no matter what the argument is.
- The truth of the matter is when you and Christi
get into it, things get really ugly.
- You know, Christi. Why don't you pull the trigger?
- What is your biggest issue with Christi right now?
- Not making Chloe's
training a priority
at the Abby Lee Dance Company.
Chloe walks in 10 minutes late, 20 minutes late,
and it's a 30-minute private. How do you learn anything?
- Well, you guys, knowing Christi,
she's probably got a lot to say.
- Oh, they know me so well.
- All right, so you've been backstage, you heard it all.
What do you think about Abby's version
of what happened at Nationals?
- Abby's walking down the hall and she turned around
because we all know at Nationals,
Kamryn and Chloe tied,
but Chloe beat her because she had a higher technique score.
Well, that killed Abby.
And she turned around and said, Kamryn's the one
with the technique, not Chloe.
That was your reaction because you couldn't hang
with her mother, you're gonna rip on a 13-year-old girl?
- That's not what happened.
- Yes it is. She talks about me hitting below the belt.
- I want Chloe to work harder.
- It doesn't matter. Chloe won that day.
Her job was to win. She won.
She couldn't stand the fact that
for the second time, Chloe beat Kamryn.
- But she didn't win.
They were fourth, they were fifth and sixth.
I was disappointed in both of them.
- But you know what? She was the highest scoring
solo that day. She didn't win because her solo was pitiful.
You gave her a pitiful solo, and you know it.
- Again, if I say that I think Chloe is doing
what Chloe's potential is,
then I'm the bad guy again.
- Nope. The fact is you can't stand it when Chloe succeeds
'cause you try to hold her down.
- Are you kidding?
- And it kills you when she goes out there
and does well because you don't want her to,
because of your issues with me.
You're a horrible, rotten human being
and it shows every week.
- And you keep bringing the kid back!
- Actually, this time I didn't.
Chloe and I left after season four,
and that was the last time I ever spoke to Abby.
I may have left, but I'm glad I was around
for this cute moment.
- What's on your necklace?
- These skulls? They're all the mothers that didn't listen.
[all laughing]
I could name them one at a time.
- Well, that's a wrap for me in this
episode of Epic Showdowns.
But, just like anyone who ever threatened to leave...
- Not doing it.
- I am done!
- Bye. Thank you all for coming.
- You know I can't stay away.