HOT TAKE YOLANDA
I think Yolanda Walmsley is honestly the second worst mom on Dance Moms, with “Black Patsy” probably being number one. The way Yolanda treated Elliana Walmsley was genuinely uncomfortable to watch sometimes. Abby would be straight up cruel to Elliana, constantly putting pressure on her, criticizing her, or making her cry, and instead of defending her daughter, Yolanda would usually agree with Abby Lee Miller or act like it was somehow “helping” her. That mindset always bothered me because there’s a difference between pushing your kid to succeed and letting someone emotionally tear them down. A lot of the time it felt like Yolanda cared more about the opportunities and connections Abby could bring than how Elliana was actually feeling mentally and emotionally. It came across like she believed all the stress and treatment would be worth it if it made Elliana famous or successful. I know reality TV is edited and we don’t see everything behind the scenes, but from what was shown, Elliana often looked exhausted, overwhelmed, and anxious while her mom kept pushing her deeper into that environment. What also annoyed me was how Yolanda almost always backed Abby up, even when Abby was clearly being unfair. Most moms on the show would at least defend their kids at some point, but Yolanda would usually justify Abby’s behavior instead. I genuinely never understood what her end goal was supposed to be, because as a viewer it felt less like protecting her child and more like trying to chase fame through her daughter.