Pop
Lizzo’s former dancers insist lawsuit was never intended to 'take down' the singer after her album flopped
Lizzo’s former dancers have spoken out about their ongoing lawsuit, insisting their aim was accountability — not damaging the star’s career.
Lizzo’s former dancers Noelle Rodriguez, Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams have said they never set out to derail the singer’s career.
The trio, who filed a lawsuit in 2023 accusing Lizzo and her production company of body‑shaming, sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment - allegations Lizzo has denied - spoke to CNN about how they feel watching the star’s career unfold while the legal battle continues.
After Lizzo's latest album Bitch undersold, Rodriguez told the outlet they have “mixed feelings” about the trajectory of Lizzo’s career, but insisted they never set out to launch a "smear campaign" against her.
She said: “It was never an intention to take down a plus‑size woman of color specifically."
She continued: “I don’t really think it’s our place to discuss or even have an opinion on how her career is going at this point, when that wasn’t even our reason for filing in the first place.”
The dancers say their focus has always been on the behaviour they allege they experienced while working for the Grammy winner, and on the values Lizzo has long championed publicly - including empowerment, inclusivity and self‑love. Rodriguez explained that the lawsuit was intended to address what they viewed as contradictions between those messages and their treatment behind the scenes.
She said: “I think if anything, in retrospect, I’ve actually had some sadness in the fact that it has impacted her career."
Lizzo has been left feeling "stressed and really sad" due to the chart flop.
The 38-year-old pop star released her fifth record on June 5, but Bitch failed to make it into the Billboard 200 chart in the US and the top 100 in the UK Albums Chart - and Lizzo admitted she felt troubled by the "soul-crushing" performance after her previous chart successes.
During an appearance on the Swiftologist podcast, Lizzo explained: "I think right now, dropping the album, I took it to heart. Really, really heavily .. I hurt my own feelings and I was really stressed and I was really sad for a few days because I was like: 'Wait a minute, this is some of my best stuff'.
"I had to come to terms with the fact that not only is the music industry different in the last three years – and we need to talk about that, we need to talk about the radio aspect that I got my a** chewed out for but it's happening and it's true.
"But also my relationship and my connection musically with the world is different. And I think I had to mourn that ... "
Lizzo's last album, Special, reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart in 2022 while her previous effort, 2019's Cuz I Love You, made it to number six.
She added: "I didn't think it would be crazy, but I also didn't think it would be this [bad] ... and there was like 24 hours of my life where I based by success on and my worth on a number and I think that was soul-crushing."
The singer went on to reveal she was supported by fellow artist SZA - real name Solana Rowe - after Bitch was released.
She said: "Thank God for Solana, she called me and was like: 'You’re on my mind.'
"I was like: 'Am I a failure?' and she was like: 'Oh my god, no!' - she’s so sweet'.
"I like meditated and I prayed on it and I was like: 'This is why I don't judge myself on my success or my impact on numbers. This is why I don't do that because it's soul-crushing if you do."
