Lizzo has been hit with a shocking lawsuit that details eye-raising allegations made by her former backup dancers.
According to NBC News citing the lawsuit which was filed this Tuesday, three of Lizzo’s former dancers accused the singer of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. In the suit, one dancer accused Lizzo of calling out her weight gain and firing her for recording a meeting. Other allegations include Lizzo falsely accusing dancers of drinking alcohol on the job, which allegedly led to an “excruciating” audition, and the singer pressuring them to touch “nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.” Whew!
Now among those claims, another backup dancer complained that Lizzo’s dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, made inappropriate sexual comments while making fun of members of the team who had premarital sex. They believe that Lizzo was aware of the complaints against Quigley, but said nothing and allegedly did not take any action.
To make matters worse, the trio of dancers —namely Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, have also filed complaints of religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment, as well as interference with prospective economic advantage along with other allegations. The suit names Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc, and Miss Quigley as defendants.
“BGBT management treated the Black members of the dance team differently than other members. BGBT’s management team consisted almost entirely of white Europeans who often accused the Black members of the dance team of being lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes,” the plaintiffs write in the lawsuit. “Not only do these words ring familiar as tropes used to disparage and discourage Black women from advocating for themselves, but the same accusations were not levied against dancers who are not Black.”
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So far, Lizzo, who’s known for embracing body positivity and inclusion has not yet responded to these shocking claims.
Meanwhile, the trio’s lawyer said in a statement to the outlet, “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,” Zambrano said in a statement.