Fans of 'Dance Moms' Want to Know What Happened to Mackenzie Ziegler
Mackenzie stared on the reality TV show with her older sister, Maddie.
Published Oct. 15 2025, 4:06 p.m. ET
Fans of the Lifetime reality TV show Dance Moms are wondering what happened to star Mackenzie Ziegler. Mackenzie — who goes by Kenzie now — left the show back in 2016.
Dance Moms premiered back in 2011 and featured the owner of the Abby Lee Dance Company, Abby Lee Miller, as she ran her dance studio in Pittsburgh, Pa. The reality TV show focused on the trials and tribulations of her students during the competitive dance season as they pursued the National Dance title while dealing with their dramatic parents.
Here's what happened to Mackenzie Ziegler from 'Dance Moms.'
Mackenzie Ziegler left the reality TV show in 2016 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She has since released some music, including the 2023 single "Anatomy," per People. Kenzie told the outlet that the song was about her childhood and her tumultuous relationship with her estranged father.
“I was very hesitant to release it at first just because it is so personal, and I don't think a lot of people know that about me," she said. "But I also think that it could really help some people that are exactly like me to relate to this and not feel alone. I definitely am stepping out of my comfort zone and being authentic in a different way that’s not just on social media. I’m telling my story.”
Kenzie added that her therapist advised her to write a letter to her dad to express herself.
"I did not want to do that at all," she recalled. "So I wrote a song and I sent it to her, and I was like, ‘Here's my letter,’ and then I ended up actually really, really loving the song. So something great really came out of it."
The lyrics describe the singer's struggles to hide the sadness caused by her father.
"It's just anatomy / you're only half of me / still you don't know me at all / you've been my missing piece / so why aren't you missing me / guess that I meant less than I thought / It's just anatomy / hate that you're half of me."
The singer also released a single, "Tan Lines," in August 2025, and she shocked her fans by recording herself getting tattoos of tan lines and sharing the video on TikTok.
The video has received more than 10 million views so far. Kenzie also appeared on the TV show, The Masked Dancer, a spin-off of The Masked Singer. The talented performer also launched a back-to-school fashion collection with Maddie back in 2023 for American Eagle Outfitters, AE x Maddie & Kenzie Ziegler Collab.
Kenzie shared a post on Instagram back in June to celebrate her 21st birthday. She captioned the post, "21!!! celebrate my birthday with the new collection + first 15 purchases get a free signed polaroid." Kenzie also appeared in the 2021 film Let Us In and the 2025 film She Dances.