Who are the dancers accusing Lizzo of sexual assault? All about Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez

Lizzo, the Grammy-winning performer, is facing a lawsuit filed by three of her former backup dancers, namely Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez. 

The dancers have accused the About Damn Time rapper-singer of engaging in sexual harassment, racial harassment, and creating a work environment that was hostile. 

Additionally, they claim to have experienced weight shaming during their employment. The lawsuit also includes Lizzo's production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and her dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, as defendants.

Read below to learn all about Lizzo's former backup dancers and their accusations against the artist.

Arianna Davis, 24 

Arianna Davis, who has been dancing since she was two years old and has experience in various styles such as ballet, tap, and jazz, joined Lizzo's performances along with former dancer Williams after competing on the show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls in 2021. However, both dancers were later dismissed.

According to the lawsuit filed against Lizzo on August 1st, Davis stated that the Truth Hurts singer started pressuring her to touch the breasts of a nude performer at the Amsterdam club Bananenbar, despite Davis expressing her reluctance to do so.

In addition, Davis accused Lizzo, who is known for promoting body positivity, of engaging in weight shaming.

Lizzo's attorney, Marty Singer, issued a response to the lawsuit, referring to a resurfaced audition tape from Season 2 of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls in which Davis participated in April 2023, after the European Tour and after most of the alleged incidents mentioned in her lawsuit had already taken place. 

Singer stated in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, "she actually auditioned to continue working with Lizzo as a singer on an upcoming tour as part of a girl group."

In response to Singer's statement, the dancer clarified, "This video was done before the bulk of our allegations occurred, and this was just me grasping at straws and my last attempt to make her see how committed I was to being loyal to her and her camp."

Crystal Williams, 26

Crystal Williams, a former backup dancer for Lizzo, was mentioned in the lawsuit as someone who was also fired. 

She made a brief appearance on Lizzo's show Watch Out For The Big Grrrls in season 1 before joining the singer's Special Tour in September 2022.

Before joining Lizzo on tour, Williams attended Sam Houston State University and was part of a college dance group. After graduating in 2020, she submitted an online application in response to Lizzo's casting call.

According to the lawsuit, Williams was terminated on April 26 when Lizzo's tour manager fired her in a hotel lobby. 

The alleged incident occurred after Williams spoke up during a meeting, where she challenged a statement made by Lizzo claiming that the dancers had been drinking before performances.

Noelle Rodriguez, 25

Noelle Rodriguez, another plaintiff in the lawsuit, was hired as one of Lizzo's dancers in 2021 after appearing in the singer's music video for Rumors. However, she resigned in early 2023. 

Unlike the other plaintiffs, Rodriguez did not participate in Watch Out For The Big Grrrls.

Prior to working with Lizzo, Rodriguez, who also hails from Texas, had experience as a background dancer on Euphoria's first season and performed at the 94th Oscars in 2022. 

She has also danced alongside Beyoncé at Coachella, Sam Smith on a Jingle Ball tour, and Janet Jackson at the Billboard Music Awards.

Rodriguez is one of the three former dancers suing Lizzo, Lizzo's production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and dance captain Quigley.

According to the lawsuit, Rodriguez confronted Lizzo shortly after Williams was fired and following a contentious meeting where Lizzo and Quigley were allegedly berating Davis. 

Rodriguez claims that she expressed feeling disrespected to Lizzo and subsequently resigned from the tour.

The lawsuit further states that Lizzo approached Rodriguez, "cracking her knuckles and balling her fists."

The plaintiffs' lawyer, Zambrano, also told PEOPLE that Lizzo's behavior on that day was “intense”, with the singer “yelling, screaming and getting in people's faces,” causing distress among the dancers, including the plaintiffs.