Former Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller was released from a halfway house Friday in Southern California.
To celebrate her newfound freedom, she took to Instagram to share the news with her 3.4 million followers by quoting Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“TIMES UP!!!! ‘Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.’ Martin Luther King Jr.,” Miller captioned a black-and-white picture that showed her smiling broadly and pointing to a watch on her wrist.
While some fans congratulated Miller. Others slammed her for quoting MLK’s famous 1963 speech, which became a defining moment in the civil rights movement.
“Why would you use such a historical quote about racial injustice to compare to justice for your crimes you chose to commit?” Instagram user @atadsavvy wrote in the comments section of Miller’s post.
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“You scammed and your [sic] comparing that to a civil rights activist? Damn whats wrong with the world,” added @liz_fadiga.
@adeeve chimed in with: “You did not just use that quote. New low.”
Someone else called Miller’s use of the quote “rude and wrong.”
“Any discrimination she may have faced, is still NOTHING compared to the level of discrimination done back in MLK Jr.’s days,” wrote @angiepoo83. “Using such a profound and prolific quote in a context other than what it was meant for is rude and wrong.”
It’s unclear if Miller was also referencing the #TimesUp movement against sexual harassment and inequality in the workplace.
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The 51-year-old was released from federal prison in Victorville, Calif. in March, and transferred to RRM Long Beach, a halfway house in San Pedro, Calif., to help her transition back to everyday life.
She was sentenced to 366 days after pleading guilty to felony bankruptcy fraud, but was released early for good behavior.
Over the past several weeks, Miller has been undergoing treatment for cancer.
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