Who is Shirlene Quigley? Lizzo's ex-team members accuse dance captain of trying to convert them to Christianity
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lizzo and her dance team's captain, Shirlene Quigley, are currently in legal trouble due to a lawsuit filed against them, alongside the Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc production team. The lawsuit was initiated by three former dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, on August 1, 2023.
The allegations in the lawsuit revolve around Shirlene Quigley's purported excessive preaching of Christianity to the plaintiffs. Shirlene Quigley has been an essential part of Lizzo's tour performances since 2019, serving as her dance captain. She also appeared as a judge on Lizzo's Amazon reality show, ‘Watch Out for the Big Grrrls’.
Specific claims made against Lizzo and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley in a lawsuit filed by her ex-dancers:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 1, 2023
Lizzo:
• Accused of overworking dancers and making the group re-audition in an “excruciating” 12-hour rehearsal. Those she was “dissatisfied with” would be fired… pic.twitter.com/PxH6jgGhMh
Quigley accused of proselytizing
Shirlene Quigley, born on July 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California, began her career as a backup dancer in Beyonce's iconic music video ‘Crazy in Love’. She has since worked with several well-known artists, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Missy Elliot, Destiny's Child, and Chris Brown, among others. The focus of the lawsuit is a specific incident involving Quigley who has, on several occassions, taken to her Instagram to spread the "word of God."
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As the legal process unfolds, Quigley is also accused of scolding the dancers for having pre-marital sex, and unwarrantedly discussing masturbation and sexual fantasies with the group. In addition to the lawsuit's allegations, two of the plaintiffs, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, have accused Shirlene of proselytizing. Noelle stated that Shirlene seemed to have taken it upon herself to actively preach Christianity to her.
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Quigley's response to the accusations
In addition, Quigley also attempted to influence Arianna Davis to embrace Christianity, believing that Davis was a "non-believer." In response to all the accusations against her, Shirlene Quigley took to Instagram on August 1 to share a message about God with her 52,400 followers. In the video, Quigley wore a wide grin as she recorded herself speaking about God from inside her car.
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She captioned the post: "God loves you so so so so much. #neverforgetthat" In the clip, she said, "Hey, everybody. I just wanted to get on here real quick and say God is so, so good. God loves you so, so, so, so much no matter what you’re going through, even if you don’t love Him. He loves you. Glory to God. I just wanted to remind you that He is love and He is truth, He is the light, He is the first and the last and all things work together for those that are called, according to his purpose."