Lizzo once said “all the rumors are true”.. but let’s hope this one is not.
Lizzo is known for body positivity and equally uplifting music so you really don’t hear of anything too troublesome coming from her often, however some crazy accusations are coming her way. The ‘Truth Hurts’ singer being accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment by three of her former dancers, according to reports. In a lawsuit filed today, one dancer accused Lizzo of calling out her weight gain and firing her for recording a meeting.
Other allegations mentioned in the lawsuit include Lizzo falsely accusing dancers of drinking on the job, leading to an “excruciating” audition, and the singer pressuring them to touch a nude performer in Amsterdam. The plaintiffs also complain that Lizzo’s dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, made inappropriate sexual comments while chastising members of the team who had premarital sex. They believe that Lizzo was aware of the complaints against Quigley, but did not take action.
In addition to the hostile work environment and sexual harassment claims, the lawsuit also claims religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment, interference with prospective economic advantage, and more, although not every claim applies to every defendant. The defendants are named as Lizzo (Melissa Viviane Jefferson), Quigley, and Lizzo’s production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc.
“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,” the plaintiffs’ attorney, Ron Zambrano, said in a statement.
Two of the dancers, Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams, joined Lizzo’s dance team after competing on her show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, while the third, Noelle Rodriguez, was hired after performing in the “Rumors” video. Davis and Williams were fired, while Rodriguez quit earlier this year.
I really would like to believe that Lizzo wouldn’t engage in any of this based of the person she presents to the public, but I also don’t want to discount anyone’s experiences if they were indeed mistreated so we’ll just keep a close eye on how this one plays out. What do you guys think of this mess? You think there may be some truth to it?
