LIZZO’s former back-up dancer Noelle Rodriguez has joined a lawsuit against the singer.
Here’s everything you need to know about Noelle Rodriguez and the allegations she has made against Lizzo.
1
Who is Noelle Rodriguez?
Noelle Rodriguez, 25, from Texas, is a former back-up dancer for Lizzo.
She previously starred as a background dancer in the first season of Euphoria, and as a model for GAP and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS.
Rodriguez has also worked as a dancer for Beyonce, Sam Smith, and Janet Jackson.
Posting on Instagram back in May, she said: “If they want to make an example of me, I will gladly be one.
“Hopefully we can be an example of dedication, courage, and persistence under fire.
“I also hope to be an example of not tolerating nonsense, too.
“It brings me peace to be at a point in my career where I can say NO to disrespect.
“I stand strong in walking away from spaces that don’t serve me, and more importantly, don’t deserve me.
“My talent, my character, and reputation speaks volumes on its own.
“Know your worth and never be afraid to use your voice. Stand up for what is right regardless of who is committing the wrong.
“Excited for what is to come. And to be quite honest it was about damn time.”
When did Noelle Rodriguez work with Lizzo?
Lizzo hired Rodriguez after she performed in the music video for the singer’s track “Rumors”.
Rodriguez allegedly threatened to resign over the treatment of dancers Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams.
Lizzo is accused of “cracking her knuckles and balling her fist” in response.
When cast members asked Lizzo’s dance captain Shirlene Quigley to stop pressuring Rodriguez to become a Christian, she allegedly replied: “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord.”
What has Lizzo been accused of?
Three dancers have filed a lawsuit accusing Lizzo of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
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They also said that she pressured one of them into touching a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam.
The lawsuit also claims that Lizzo made the dancers carry out an “excruciating” 12-hour audition after falsely accusing them of drinking on the job.
Lizzo is also alleged to have pointed out a dancer’s weight gain – before firing her when she recorded a meeting because of a health condition.
The dancers’ law firm gave the suit to NBC News after filing it in Los Angeles Superior Court.
It also claims that Lizzo’s dance captain Shirlene Quigley shared “lewd fantasies”, simulated oral sex, and publicly discussed the virginity of one of the dancers.
The suit also brings claims for religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment, and interference with prospective economic disadvantage.
Three of Lizzo’s artists are named as plaintiffs in the complaint – Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez.
The suit claims that Lizzo and a choreographer told Davis that she seemed “less committed” to her role in a “thinly veiled” comment about her weight.
It also alleges that Lizzo pressured Ms Davis to touch the breasts of a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam.
Lizzo’s dance captain Shirlene Quigley is accused of discussing Davis’s virginity without permission on social media and in interviews.
Davis allegedly lost her job days after Lizzo’s assertion that the dancers were drinking before performances.
The suit claims that she was so afraid of losing her job if she went to the bathroom that she wet herself during the “excruciating” 12-hour rehearsal which followed.
Lizzo is accused of firing Davis on the spot after she recorded a meeting because of her eye condition.
A member of Lizzo’s security detail allegedly forced Davis to stay in the room while he searched her phone for the video.
Crystal Williams was allegedly fired in a hotel lobby days after she challenged Lizzo’s claim that the dancers drank before performances.
The singer allegedly went on to swear, raise her middle finger and yell a slur.
What has Lizzo said?
Lizzo and Shirlene Quigley did not respond to requests for comment from the press.
The dancers’ lawyer Ron Zambrano told NBC: “The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly.
“Privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing.”
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