If you grew up watching Dance Moms, you probably remember the "Maddie vs. Chloe" rivalry as the defining drama of the 2010s. It was everywhere. One week, Abby Lee Miller was screaming about Maddie Ziegler's perfect "face," and the next, she was tearing down Chloe Lukasiak for a slightly crooked foot. But behind the scores and the tears, there were two little girls who actually liked each other.
Fast forward to 2026. The glitter has settled. The show is long over. But the question remains: are Maddie and Chloe still friends?
Honestly, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. It’s more of a "life happened" situation. If you’re looking for a dramatic feud, you won't find one here. Instead, you'll find two young women who shared a traumatizing childhood and had to figure out how to be adults while the whole world kept trying to pit them against each other.
The Reality of Being "Pitted Against" Your Best Friend
It’s hard to stay close when your boss—and essentially your second mother—is telling you that your best friend is your enemy. Abby Lee Miller didn’t just teach these girls to dance; she taught them that their value was tied to beating the person standing next to them.
For Chloe, this was especially brutal. She was often the "underdog," the one the fans rooted for because she was constantly being told she wasn't good enough. Maddie, on the other hand, was the "favorite," a title that came with its own set of heavy burdens and isolation.
By the time Chloe left the show in Season 4, the relationship was strained. They were kids. They didn't have cell phones to text each other secretly (at least not at first), and their moms, Christi and Melissa, were often at each other's throats. When families fight, the kids usually lose contact. That's just how it works.
Why They Drifted After Chloe Left
When Chloe Lukasiak made her dramatic exit after that comment from Abby about her eye, she basically vanished from Maddie’s world. In a 2017 interview with Teen Vogue, Chloe admitted they hadn't stayed close. She mentioned that while she was still tight with Nia Frazier, she and Maddie had lost touch.
Maddie said something similar around that time. She told reporters it was "sad" because she missed Chloe, but their lives had just gone in completely different directions. Maddie was becoming the face of Sia’s music videos and a Hollywood starlet, while Chloe was focusing on her own projects, writing a book, and later, going to college.
The Turning Point: The 2024 Reunion and Beyond
Things started to shift publicly around 2023 and 2024. Even though Maddie Ziegler chose not to participate in the Dance Moms: The Reunion (which aired in May 2024), Chloe spoke about her with a lot of grace.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight to promote the reunion, Chloe got emotional. She didn't sound like someone holding a grudge. Instead, she said she still considers Maddie "like a sister." She acknowledged that the rivalry was entirely manufactured by the adults and the producers.
"We have a bond that nobody else can understand," Chloe shared. "Even if we don't talk every single day, that history doesn't just go away."
Social Media Sleuthing
If you look at their Instagrams today, you’ll see the occasional "like" or "comment." It’s the modern version of a friendly wave. In late 2024 and throughout 2025, fans noticed Maddie commenting on Chloe’s posts, and vice versa.
They also both attended Paige Hyland’s 23rd birthday party a while back. While they weren't necessarily "BFF-ing" it up in every photo, they were in the same room, laughing and comfortable. For anyone who survived the ALDC, that’s a huge win.
The "Sia" Factor and Private Lives
One reason people think they aren't friends is that they don't post together. But let's be real: Maddie Ziegler has become incredibly private about her personal life. Since her time with Sia and her transition into serious acting (like in The Fallout or The Last of Us), she rarely posts "hanging out" photos with anyone except her sister, Mackenzie, or her closest inner circle.
Chloe has also been busy. She’s been open about her health struggles, her relationship with Brooklinn Khoury, and her production company. They are two 20-somethings living in different cities with massive careers.
Are They "Best" Friends?
Probably not. They aren't the inseparable duo they were at eight years old. But they aren't enemies.
Most people from your childhood aren't your best friends when you're 23. You grow up, you move, you change. Now add the fact that their childhood was broadcast to millions of people who still argue about who was the better dancer in 2012. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a friendship.
What Most People Get Wrong About Their "Feud"
People love a villain. They want to believe Melissa and Christi’s drama meant the girls hated each other.
In reality, the "feud" was a product of:
- Producer Manipulation: Storylines were fed to the moms to create tension.
- Abby’s Tactics: Using one girl’s success to shame the other.
- Age: They were literally children who didn't have the emotional tools to navigate that level of fame and competition.
Today, both women have spoken out about the "trauma" of the show. That shared trauma is actually what keeps them connected. Only the "OG" girls know what it was like in that basement studio in Pittsburgh.
The Actionable Truth for Fans
If you're still holding out hope for a "Chlo-and-Mad" YouTube channel, it’s probably not happening. But here is the reality of where they stand in 2026:
- They are cordial and supportive. They support each other’s big life milestones from a distance.
- They have moved past the "Dance Moms" drama. Both have expressed that they don't hold the competition against each other anymore.
- The "Sisters" Bond remains. As Chloe said, they are essentially family. You don't have to talk to your sister every day to love her.
The best thing fans can do is stop comparing them. Maddie is a phenomenal actress and contemporary dancer; Chloe is a talented producer, writer, and advocate. They both won. They both escaped the toxic environment of reality TV and came out the other side as successful, seemingly well-adjusted adults.
If you want to support them, follow their current projects. Watch Maddie’s movies. Read Chloe’s work. Let the 2011 rivalry stay in 2011. They’ve moved on, and honestly, we should too.
The most important takeaway? They are okay. No more "two sapphires," no more "crying on the bus." Just two women living their lives, finally free from the pyramid.
Next Steps for Fans:
To get a real sense of their growth, watch Chloe's 2024 interviews regarding the reunion—she goes into deep detail about the healing process. Also, keep an eye on Mackenzie Ziegler’s social media, as she often acts as the "bridge" between the different eras of the ALDC girls and provides the most frequent glimpses into their private reunions.