The internet has been in a frenzy since news of Grammy Award-winning singer Lizzo broke out. The singer trended all over social media after very serious allegations against her came to light. According to reports, three of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her, claiming that they were weight-shamed, sexually harassed, and experienced hostile abuse in Lizzo’s working environment.
Grammy Award-winning singer Lizzo, known as Melissa Jefferson, and her production company are accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile working environment by her former dancers. The dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, reportedly filed a lawsuit against the singer on July 18th at the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit targets Lizzo, her production company – Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., and Shirlene Quigley, who is the captain of Lizzo’s dance team.
As per the Lawsuit
According to NBCNews, the lawsuit alleges that Lizzo called attention to the dancer’s weight after an appearance at the South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival. Ariana Davis was told by Lizzo and Shirlene Quigley that she seemed “less committed” to her role. The suit describes this as a “thinly veiled” concern about Davis’ weight. Mind you, Davis and another former dancer, Crystal Williams, began dancing for Lizzo in 2021. The two competed on her Amazon reality show “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” around 2021. In the lawsuit, it is alleged that the dancers were later fired. The lawsuit implies that Noelle Rodriguez, the third former dancer, was also hired in 2021 after performing in the video “Rumors.” Rodriguez resigned earlier this year.
The Dancers
NBCNews reports that one dancer was forced to touch a nude performer at an Amsterdam club. It is also alleged that Lizzo forced and put the dancers through an extremely excruciating audition after she “learned” of false accusations that they had been drinking on the job. The suit, which was provided to NBC, accuses Shirlene Quigley of proselytizing to other performers and mocking those who had premarital sex while sharing pornographic sexual fantasies, simulating oral sex, and publicly discussing the virginity of one of the plaintiffs.
Sexual & Racial Harassment
In addition to the accusations of a hostile working environment and sexual harassment, the suit brings claims for religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment, interference with prospective economic advantage, and other allegations. While at the Amsterdam club, it is alleged that Lizzo invited casted members to take turns touching nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas,” the suit says.
The lawsuit alleges black members of the dance group were “treated differently” from other members of the team. They were accused of being “lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes”. The case claimed these are tropes often used “to disparage and discourage” black women. It is alleged that other dancers were not treated like this. The plaintiffs also allege Lizzo and the production company team did not pay them fairly while on parts of Lizzo’s European tour. They say they were offered only 25% of their weekly pay as a retainer during their time not performing on the tour. They also claim that Lizzo and the company preferred them not to take on other jobs during these breaks.
Co- Witnesses
Lizzo’s former creative director shared a message on her Instagram stories saying, “For clarification, I’m not part of the lawsuit, but this was very much my experience in my time there. Big shoutout to the dancers who had the courage to bring this to light“. Another former employee by the social name @quinnwilsonn commented, “Echoing what @cquestt said. I haven’t been a part of that world for around three years, for a reason. I very much applaud the dancers’ courage to bring this to light, and I grieve a part of my own experience. I’d appreciate space to understand my feelings”. she said.
Sophia Nahli Allison has taken to social media to share alleged details of her own experience with Lizzo. The director reports that she experienced being gaslighted after she was chosen to direct a documentary about the singer.
Past Incidents
Last year, Lizzo faced criticism from disability charities after she included the ableist slur in her song “Grrrls.” She later removed the word from the song and issued an apology. The singer has previously expressed her views about cancellation culture. “This may be a random time to say this, but it’s on my heart, canceling culture is appropriation. There was real outrage from truly marginalized people, and now it’s become trendy, misused, and misdirected. I hope we can phase out of this {and} focus our outrage on the real problems.” She tweeted about a year ago.
Everyone is wondering why Lizzo advocated for things she did not believe in, with body positivity at its core. Was it to gain additional fans or to get ahead? Whatever the answers are to these concerns, nothing could have prepared the world for Lizzo’s alleged treatment. A great majority of victims suffer at the hands of celebrities. However, their mistreatment is usually numbed, so the real question is whether additional incidents like Lizzo’s will emerge. Will people’s social media favorites be canceled, or will these stories fade away?
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