Lizzo’s former backup dancers don’t plan to back down and they want to make that very clear!
In a new interview with PEOPLE, the trio Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez the ladies double down on their allegations following the lawsuit that they filed last week.
Reiterating their claims, Williams said, “We were treated poorly. Nobody did anything about it when we tried to speak up and advocate for ourselves. So now we’re doing it. I know that my mind feels a lot clearer. There was a lot of anxiety and a lot of feelings of being overwhelmed once our suit was made public. But today, I feel very proud to be pursuing this with these ladies.”
As we previously reported, during their time working with and for Lizzo, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez claimed they were subjected to weight-shaming, sexually denigrating behavior and were also allegedly pressured to participate in disturbing sex shows. The suit also accuses Lizzo’s dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, of proselytizing other performers and publicly discussing Davis’ virginity.
While Williams and Davis claim they were wrongfully terminated, Rodriguez maintains she resigned from her role to protest their firings. “I voluntarily left on my own terms. I was so disgusted by the treatment that I saw,” she told the outlet
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When Did They Start To Notice The Work Environment Was Becoming Toxic?
Rodriguez who was hired in May 2021 to perform in Lizzo’s “Rumors” music video and later became a member of her dance team the Special Tour this year, said she started to notice the negative pattern of unacceptable behavior after the cameras turned off:
“It wasn’t until after the cameras stopped rolling that I really saw the other side of Lizzo and saw her for what she is because, sadly, she’s not the same behind closed doors,” Williams alleges. “When the cameras aren’t rolling, she’s not the same person everybody sees on their TV screen.”
Davis (who sat next to Williams and Rodriguez during their interview with PEOPLE but declined to speak). However, Williams recalled being fired a week prior due to “budget cuts” and “not having the best attitude at times and coming across as snarky,” the news site notes.
“You see this pattern of every time I speak up and advocate for myself, I’m either retaliated against, or there’s some gaslighting or anything to discredit what I’m saying,” says Williams. “Instead of her addressing the issue, Lizzo wants to point fingers back at the other person who’s bringing up an issue.”
Lizzo has since spoken out on these major allegations. “My work ethic, morals, and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized,” she said in the statement. “These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” Lizzo said. She also slammed allegations of sexual harassment, saying, “I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not.” Denying the body-shaming claims, she added, “I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight,” she said. “Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team. I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this,” she added.
Despite the online commotion, the ladies say they aren’t backing down. “All of Lizzo’s former employees that have also come forward — we’ve given them the confidence to stand up, and they’re giving us the confidence to continue the fight,” Rodriguez tells PEOPLE. “What our movement alone started in my eyes … we’ve already won.”