Three of Lizzo’s former background dancers are suing her. The dancers accuse her of creating a hostile work environment and sexual harassment.
The former dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, according to NBC News. The lawsuit names Lizzo, her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and Lizzo’s dance captain, Shirlene Quigley. The dancers state that they were also allegedly subjected to false imprisonment, body-shaming, religious and racial harassment, among other things.
The suit alleges that Lizzo pressured one of the dancers to touch the breasts of a nude performer working at Bananenbar, a strip club in Amsterdam. It also accuses Quigley of simulating oral sex, sharing lewd fantasies, and openly speaking about one of the dancer’s virginity in public.
Davis and Williams began dancing with Lizzo in 2021 after competing in her reality competition series, “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.” Rodriguez also started dancing with Lizzo in 2021, as shown in the video for “Rumors.”
One surprising accusation is Lizzo’s relentless aforementioned body-shaming. The four-time Grammy Award winner has preached the importance of body positivity in her music, social media posts, and interviews.
According to the suit, Davis accuses Lizzo of criticizing her over her weight after performing at the South By Southwest music festival (SXSW). Davis alleges that the “About Damn Time” singer called attention to her weight with a thinly viewed comment that she was “less committed” to her role.
The dancers’ lawyer, Ron Zambrano, called Lizzo out for this alleged hypocrisy in a statement:
“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.”
Davis and Williams state that they got fired in April, shortly after speaking up against alleged false accusations they were drinking before performances. Rodriguez quit soon after, stating that she couldn’t bear Lizzo’s alleged disrespect for the dancers.
Representatives for Lizzo did not respond to theGrio’s requests for comment.
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