Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Religious Music and Entertainment
Does the 7M TikTok Cult Exist? New Netflix Film Says ‘Yes’

Does the 7M TikTok Cult Exist? New Netflix Film Says ‘Yes’

Last updated on: July 1, 2024 at 2:34 pm by Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

Does the 7M TikTok Cult Exist? New Netflix Film Says ‘Yes’ 2024-07-01T14:34:38-04:00 Ginny Baxter

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Does the 7M TikTok Cult Exist? New Netflix Film Says ‘Yes’ (Image courtesy of Pixaby / 1tamara2)

Religious cults – and cults in general — are dangerous. Yet, people continue to join them, and a new Netflix documentary points to the alleged 7M TikTok cult as an example.

Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult offers a fascinating look at a purported religious cult and its alleged ties to TikTok dancers and the 7M Films talent management agency in Los Angeles.

TikTok dancers, a talent agency and a religious cult are an unlikely combination. But the Netflix documentary says a man named Robert Shinn is at the center of all three groups.

Shinn pastors a small non-denominational Christian church and serves as CEO of the talent management company 7M Films in Los Angeles. And according to Dancing for the Devil, he leads a religious cult that involves both organizations.

As you might expect, Shinn denies cult-like behavior and insists there’s no connection between his Shekinah Church and 7M Films. So, what exactly is “cult-like” behavior?

How Do You Recognize a Cult?

“Most cults are extremely small and very deliberately try to stay under the radar,” according to international cult expert Steve Eichel. “Unless they commit a crime, unless they do something that draws attention and criticism to them – we generally don’t know about them.”

Eichel estimates that as many as 10,000 cults exist in the U.S. but admits that keeping track of them isn’t easy. There are, however, certain characteristics that pinpoint cults.

The Cult Education Institute says cults…

Are authoritarian and offer no accountability
Use deception to recruit members
Have zero tolerance for criticism
Are very secretive about their finances
Instill an unreasonable fear of outsiders in their members
Convince members that there is no legitimate reason for leaving the group
Abuse members
Instill the idea that members are never “good enough”
Convince members that their leader is always right
Instill the belief that the leader is their only source of “truth”

Why Do People Join Cults?

A Teen Vogue article – What Is a Cult and Why Do People Join Them? – quotes sociologist Janja Lalich as saying, “Many people join cults because they are looking for a sense of purpose in their lives or because they want to belong.”

She explained that cult leaders target people who don’t fit into society and then exploit underlying problems in their lives. Mental health issues, struggles with substance abuse and feelings of insecurity make people easy targets.

Cult leaders convince potential followers that they will become part of something bigger than themselves when they join their group.

New followers “lower their defenses and are more likely to accept the stranger aspects of their new communities,” Lalich explained.

As followers cut ties to other sources of social and financial support, they develop an “us-vs-them” mentality that makes leaving the cult difficult, she said.

Dancing for the Devil

The Netflix documentary Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult follows sisters Miranda and Melanie Wilking, who had a TikTok channel with more than three million followers and a number of lucrative brand partnerships. But in 2019, everything began to fall apart, according to The Independent, a news outlet.

That April, Miranda connected with a fellow dancer named James “BDash” Derrick for a dance video that led to romance. They married in 2021.

At some point, Derrick introduced Miranda to his videographer, Isaiah Shinn, who introduced the couple to the Shekinah Church and his father, Robert Shinn. The elder Shinn is a doctor-turned-preacher-and-businessman – and allegedly – a cult leader.

By 2021, Melanie was noticing that her once-close sister was distancing herself, the publication said. When the girls’ grandfather died in Michigan in early 2021, Miranda said she needed “someone closer to God” to approve a trip home for the funeral. Ultimately, she decided not to attend.

By 2022, the girls’ family began to suspect that the Shekinah Church and 7M Films constituted a cult. In February, they attempted to contact Miranda on Instagram Live. Their plea went viral, and Miranda responded with a statement to The Cut, an online publication.

She insisted that “no one is forcing me to do anything” and said she was free to leave the Shekinah Church and 7M Films whenever she chose.

A Family’s Agony

“The Wilking family is featured in the documentary, and their interviews provide agonizing insights into what it’s like to grapple with the sudden absence of a loved one who’s fallen under the influence of a charismatic leader,” Netflix said. (See the trailer here.)

“I think audiences will be surprised by how easily regular people can get sucked into cult-like groups and how devastating the impact can be on families, friends, and communities,” the film’s director Derek Doneen said.

Doneen noted that Shinn’s church encouraged members to donate money and break away from their families from the beginning, according to The Independent. He also claimed that Shinn’s “brand of manipulation and control is typical of many other cult leaders.”

Other Dancers Speak Out

Dancing for the Devil includes interviews with several dancers who say they fled the alleged 7M TikTok cult. These former members told Netflix they are currently working from the outside to take it down.

“This series is about exposing the wrongdoers and setting the story straight, all with the hope of helping those still under the control of the church,” according to executive producer Jessica Acevedo.

Robert Shinn denies any ties between Shekinah Church and 7M Films, but Netflix alleges that he treats 7M as an extension of the church.

“Several dancers who have since parted ways with 7M say that Shinn exercised an extreme amount of control over them, from how their dance routines should look to financial decisions, mandating that they turn over a large portion of their earnings to the church,” Netflix said.

“On a personal level, the dancers were also encouraged to cut ties with the family and loved ones who were not part of 7M and Shekinah.”

Targeting TikTok Dancers?

Several dancers who left the so-called 7M TikTok cult said Shinn “reworked his church” to target famous Tik-Tok dancers and “take advantage of their vulnerability as aspiring artists who had moved to LA to chase their dreams.”

Business Insider’s story notes that Dancing for the Devil “paints a surprising picture of how content creators can potentially be taken advantage of while trying to build their brands and find success.”

Former members make several other allegations against Shinn. They say….

Shinn received most of their income in the form of tithes and fees.
They were encouraged to cut ties with friends and family not involved in 7M Films and Shekinah.
They were forced to attend lengthy late-night Bible study sessions.
Shinn was “overall abusive.”

The Netflix Interviews

Melanie Wilking has a central role in Netflix’s documentary, as she talks at length about her sister Miranda and the Shekinah Church. Neither Miranda nor her husband appear in the film.

But Melanie discusses attending several services with her sister. Those services ended for her when a church member insisted that Melanie attend a service on a moment’s notice.

“I’ve gone to different churches growing up and no one ever is like ‘You have to be there, now!’” Melanie said.

TikTok dancer Aubrey Fisher shared his experiences with the church as well, saying he began attending in its early days. And he claimed that Shinn created 7M Films shortly after learning about Fisher’s huge following on TikTok.

Fisher left Shekinah Church and 7M Films in 2022 but continues to make dance videos on Instagram and TikTok.

Dancer Kylie Douglas also appeared in Dancing for the Devil, saying that Shinn “created a culture of paranoia among his followers. She said that she felt she couldn’t even fully share her thoughts with Fisher in case they somehow got back to Shinn.”

She left the Shekinah Church at the same time Fisher left because of Shinn’s “worrying behavior” and claims the church is a cult.

Dancer Kailea Gray joined Shinn’s church with her boyfriend and future husband Kevin “Konkrete” Davis, but they left it in 2022 after allegations against Shinn and the church surfaced. The couple continues to perform, and Konkrete has even toured with Beyonce’.

Another dancer who joined Shekinah and 7M is Nick “RainO” Raiano, according to Business Insider. Raiano’s parents said he slowly cut ties with them, and when they started receiving texts again, they suspected their son wasn’t writing them.

Raiano still appears to have connections to the church and 7M. He “has deleted his Instagram and TikTok accounts. His main YouTube channel has also disappeared, although his old account with one video is still available,” Business Insider reported.

Updating the Story

A recent story by The Independent updated readers about Miranda Wilking Derrick and Robert Shinn. The news outlet reported that Miranda re-established contact with her family and began dancing with her sister again.

However, the reunion appears to have been short-lived. Several days ago, Miranda announced that she and her husband have received death threats since Netflix released Dancing for the Devil.

“Before this documentary, my husband and I – we felt safe. Now that this documentary is out, we feel like our lives have been put in danger,” she said.

She explained that the couple has been followed and received hate mail and death threats. And she blames her family.

“I have been getting together with my family for the past couple of years, privately, to work on our relationship…. And this documentary has made it very difficult to continue doing that,” she said.

Miranda also slammed the film as “a one-sided story” and denied that she’s a “victim.”

As for Robert Shinn, the pastor-businessman has filed a lawsuit against several former church members claiming defamation and trade libel.

His lawsuit was followed by a countersuit filed by a group of former 7M dancers. That suit accuses Shinn of fraud, forced labor and trafficking, according to The Independent.

No criminal charges have been filed, and the case has not yet gone to trial.

What’s next? Only time will tell.

Religious Music and Entertainment

Religion News

Uncategorized

7M TikTok cult

cult warning signs

Dancing for the Devil

Miranda and Melanie Wilking

Netflix documentary

Robert Shinn

Previous Post

June 22, 2024

Let Us Prey: Stopping Predators in the Church

Next Post

July 3, 2024 Rest in Peace, Gospel Songwriter Rusty Golden

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 8 points of Progressive Christianity Advent All dogs go to heaven Alvin York Amazing Grace heart health American violence Angels anti-semitism Beloved hymns Bible Trivia Quiz Biblical family conflicts Biblical family conflicts Bill Moyers death Black churches in America Black Music Month Buddhism Calming Bible verses Carter and Christian faith Carter and faith Carter Center Changes in Christianity Changing Christianity in U.S. Christ Christian aid to Ukraine Christian belief Christian beliefs Christian extremism Christian flag Christian help Christian martyrs Christian media campaign Christian nationalism Christian nationalism Christian Olympians Christian outreach Christian pastors Christian prayer room Christianity Christians and Donald Trump Christians and U.S. immigration Christians behaving badly Christmas Christmas holidays and depression church and state church attendance church membership church tax exemption Classical Christian music conservatives Creation Creationism and Science Crisis in the Clergy Early Christian women Easter lamb Easter preparations Easter worldwide Education and Religion evangelicals Faith and families Faith and Mental Health Faith and miracles Faith and Super Bowl Faith and winter blues faith healers faith leaders false leaders False Prophets family Father's Day feeding 5000 flags in churches Football and Christianity freedom of religion friends Genesis Ghosts God Golden Rule Good Friday Good Samaritan Gospel of Thomas grief grieving Halloween hate hatred hatred of Jews He Gets Us He Gets Us campaign Hinduism Holocaust how are Abrahamic religions similar How to read the Bible Hubble Islam James Webb Telescope Jesse Jackson's legacy Jesus Jesus' brothers and sisters Jewish holy days and hate Jews Judaism judging others July 4th & Religion Kamala Harris's faith Lent Liberal Christianity liberal Christians Liberal Theology liberals Lindsey Graham's legacy Lord's prayer losing church members loss loss of church members loss of husband loss of spouse love love thy neighbor marketing Christ Mary Magdalene Methodist's split National Day of Prayer National Day of Prayer New United Methodist leader Pat Robertson Pope and President Pope Francis compassion Portals for demons post-evangelicals pray prayer prayer survey praying Preserving religious freedom President Jimmy Carter Presidents' Day Project 2025 Putin's faith Racism and radicalized Christianity racism in America religion Religion and Entertainment Religion and football Religious coercion religious tyranny in U.S. Remembering Jimmy Carter resurrection Revelation Rewriting black history Riley Leonard's faith risen lord Rosalynn Carter Rusty Golden death science Scientology Sen. Joe Leiberman dies Sex abuse and Christianity Sex abuse in churches South Africa Southern Baptist Convention spirituality St. Paddy's Day St. Patrick St. Patrick myths St. Patrick's Day St. Paul suicide and religion Susanna Wesley taxes and religion Televangelists television evangelists the Philippines The Trinity Trump's faith adviser U.S. Ukraine Uncategorized Underground churches universe women and happiness Women church leaders women in the pulpit Yoga and Christianity Yule Zimbabwe

Select a Month July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which is considered the greatest commandment in Christianity?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Give money Fast often Go to church Love God