Lizzo’s dance captain has responded to a lawsuit in which she is named as a co-defendant by three former backup dancers. The lawsuit alleges that the Grammy-winning singer weight-shamed them, forced them to take part in sex shows, and subjected them to sexually denigrating behavior. The dance captain argues that the plaintiffs’ case should be dismissed on First Amendment grounds.
In their Santa Monica Superior Court lawsuit, Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis, and Noelle Rodriguez make various allegations including a hostile work environment, failure to prevent or remedy a hostile work environment, religious harassment, failure to prevent religious harassment, disability discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment.
The lawsuit states that Davis and Williams met Lizzo in March 2021 while preparing for the singer’s reality show, “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.” They also met Shirlene Quigley, a judge on the show and the dance team captain. According to the lawsuit, Quigley routinely preached her Christian religious beliefs to the defendants. When Quigley discovered that Davis was a virgin, she would frequently mention it in conversations and even discussed it in interviews posted on social media.
Quigley’s name is mentioned approximately 90 times in the lawsuit.
In court papers filed with Judge H. Jay Ford III, Quigley’s lawyer argues that her client is not liable to the three dancers and that they are not entitled to punitive damages. The defense contends that the allegations involve Quigley’s exercise of her rights of freedom of speech and religion protected in the California and U.S. constitutions.
The defense further claims that the dancers have approved of Quigley’s actions and have ratified them. The defense concludes that the dancers should not receive any compensation and that their complaint should be dismissed entirely.
Rodriguez was hired in May 2021 to appear in Lizzo’s “Rumors” music video. The lawsuit alleges that Quigley continued to discuss her Christian beliefs, derogatory remarks about premarital sex, and her sex life with her husband during rehearsals with the backup dancers.
During a tour stop in Amsterdam in February 2023, Lizzo took the dancers to the Red Light District and a bar featuring nude performers. The lawsuit claims that Lizzo encouraged the dancers to interact with the performers in a sexually charged atmosphere. Davis was pressured to touch the breasts of a nude female performer out of fear that it could affect her job.
The suit also states that Lizzo took the dancers and crew to a nude cabaret bar in Paris the following week.
The dancers also allege that Black members of the team were treated differently by the management of Big Grrrl Big Touring. The suit claims that they were subjected to racial and fat-phobic remarks, while other cast members were not.
According to the lawsuit filed on August 1, Lizzo and another choreographer confronted Davis in April 2023, making thinly veiled comments about her weight gain. Lizzo had previously addressed Davis’ weight gain after noticing it at the South by Southwest music festival.
The suit states that Williams was fired under the pretext of budget cuts, while Davis was fired in May 2023 after recording a meeting with Lizzo. Rodriguez quit after witnessing the firings, which prompted an angry response from Lizzo.
Lizzo has previously called the dancers’ accusations “unbelievable” and “outrageous.”
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