Controversial dance routine on Hulu’s Dance Moms sparks outrage for its JonBenét Ramsey theme.
Hulu’s Dance Moms: A New Era has sparked outrage with a recent episode that featured a dance routine inspired by the tragic murder of JonBenét Ramsey, a 6-year-old pageant star who was killed in 1996.
In episode 8, titled “Glo Don’t Give with Both Hands,” dance coach Gloria Hampton assigned 11-year-old dancer Ashlan Scheide a routine based on Ramsey’s murder.
Scheide performed the number during a competition, dressed in a costume with her hair styled to resemble Ramsey’s. At one point in the routine, she even reenacted Ramsey’s strangulation.
The episode quickly drew backlash online. Many viewers expressed their discomfort and anger, calling the routine “disturbing,” “disrespectful,” and “morbid.”
One Reddit user wrote, “It was extremely disturbing. I feel with cases like JonBenét… people start to blur the lines and forget these are actual real-life children.” Another added, “I think a dance about JonBenét could never truly be done in taste… it’s just emphasizing a horrific murder of a child.”
Some viewers also criticized the show’s handling of the subject matter, with one saying, “This almost made me stop watching the show… the way they handled it was so wrong.” Others pointed out that asking a young dancer to research a case involving the abuse and murder of a child was “absolutely grotesque.”
Hulu has not responded to requests for comment. The murder of JonBenét Ramsey remains one of the most high-profile unsolved cases in the United States, with theories pointing to both her parents and a mystery intruder as possible suspects.
