Lizzo denies claims of sexual harassment and weight-shaming from former dancers
Lizzo has finally released a statement after a bombshell lawsuit by her former dancers alleges they were sexually harassed and weight-shamed working for the singer.
In a response posted on Instagram Thursday morning, the “Truth Hurts” rapper denied the claims, calling them “unbelievable” and “too outrageous not to be addressed.”
“These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” wrote Lizzo.
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If you haven’t been keeping up with the story, here’s a quick recap.
On Tuesday, August 1, NBC News published an exclusive report about the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles.
Three former dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez — accused Lizzo of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment, interference with prospective economic advantage, and other allegations.
This includes specific claims like calling attention to one dancer’s weight gain and then firing them after she recorded a meeting because of a health condition, reported NBC News.
The dancers also accused Lizzo of pressuring one of them to touch a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam.
Another claim says the group was subjected to an “excruciating audition” after they were falsely accused of drinking on the job.
The captain of Lizzo’s dance team, Shirlene Quigly, is also included as a defendant in the lawsuit. They have been accused of deriding other performers who have had premarital sex and sharing sexual fantasies, simulating oral sex, and publicly discussing the virginity of one of the dancers, reported NBC News.
“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” lawyer Ron Zambrano told NBC News.
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In her response, Lizzo rejects the idea that she created a hostile work environment for these dancers.
“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,” she wrote.
The musician says that she’s not trying to play the victim, but also knows that she’s not the villain that the media has portrayed her to be.
She didn’t directly address the sexual harassment accusations but says that while she’s open with her sexuality, she cannot allow people to use that openness to make her out to be something that she’s not.
Lizzo did address the alleged weight-shaming.
“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 wrote.
“I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this.”
Since the lawsuit dropped on Tuesday, other former Lizzo collaborators have also opened up about similar experiences.
Sophia Nahli Allison, a filmmaker who was hired to work on a documentary about the performer, says she walked away after about two weeks on the job.
“I was treated with such disrespect by her,” she wrote in a post on Twitter.
Sharing this because validating other Black women’s experiences is deeply important to me. pic.twitter.com/gd2xEK6szq
— Sophia Nahli Allison (@SophiaNAllison) August 1, 2023
Lizzo still has some concerts coming up, so we’ll see if the lawsuit affects the continuation of the shows.
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