DaniLeigh

Early life

Danielle Leigh Curiel was born on December 20, 1994, in Miami, Florida, to parents Vicky Curiel and Vladimir Curiel, both from the Dominican Republic. She began dancing at age 12 and singing at age 14, initially too shy to perform in front of others until receiving positive feedback. She posted vocal covers on YouTube, including Musiq Soulchild's "SoBeautiful", and later moved to Los Angeles, where she worked as a backup dancer for artists such as Pharrell Williams and Nelly Furtado. She also formed the pop duo Curly Fryz with her sister and has an older brother, rapper Brandon Bills.

Career

At age 18, Curiel was asked by Prince to direct the video for his single "Breakfast Can Wait"; Prince continued mentoring her until his death in 2016. She released her first single "D.O.S.E" in 2015, and her first successful single "Play" in 2017, an empowerment song featuring Mexican-American rapper Kap G. After signing with Def Jam Recordings, she released the EP Summer with Friends in 2017, followed by The Plan in 2018, which featured appearances by YG, Lil Yachty, Lil Baby, and YBN Nahmir.

Later singles included "Lil Bebe" (remixed with Lil Baby) and "Easy" (remixed with Chris Brown). She made a cameo in Megan Thee Stallion's "Hot Girl Summer" video and choreographed for DaBaby's "BOP on Broadway" in late 2019. In January 2021, she apologized after posting part of a song called "Yellow Bone" that was criticized for promoting colorism.

Legal issues

On November 15, 2021, Curiel was charged with two counts of assault by then-boyfriend DaBaby, who posted a statement saying he wanted her "peacefully removed" from his home. Curiel responded on Instagram, stating she refused to leave because she and her child were staying in Charlotte, North Carolina, with no nearby friends or family for support.

Curiel was convicted of DUI hit and run and sentenced to five years probation on February 1, 2024. The crimes occurred just before 1 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 30, 2023, in Miami Beach, where she was reported weaving through traffic at high speed in a grey Mercedes-Benz G550 before hitting a seventeen-year-old riding a moped or scooter.

The victim sustained a lacerated kidney and fractured spine and was transported to Ryder Trauma Center. Curiel continued driving, dragging the victim's vehicle for several blocks while witnesses tried to flag her down. She was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash including serious bodily injury, driving under the influence, and damage to property or person while driving under the influence.

Did You Know?

• She announced her pregnancy with rapper DaBaby's child on July 17, 2021, and gave birth to a girl named Velour on August 11, 2021.
• In October 2024, she announced that her father had died from cancer.