Lizzo has spoken.
After three former dancers shared their lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court against the performer, her production company Big Grrrls Big Tour, Inc., and her dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, alleging a number of employment violations from assault to harassment, Lizzo posted a Notes App statement on Instagram.
“These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing,” the Grammy-winning performer wrote. “My work ethic, morals, and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I chose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”
“The sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.” According to the suit, Arianna Davis was fired for filming a meeting in which Lizzo provided notes to the dancers, which Davis says she wanted to review later. Lizzo added in her statement that she doesn’t want to be “looked at as a victim, but also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days. I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I can not accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not.”
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She specifically addressed the allegation that one of the dancers, Davis, had been singled out for gaining weight and eventually fired—a claim that possibly hit fans of Lizzo hardest. Davis saw the performer’s intent to question her “commitment” to the job as a “thinly veiled” allusion to her weight gain. The “Good As Hell” singer has positioned herself as a champion for body positivity.
“There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. 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. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time.”
The extent of the dancers Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez’s claims include sexual, racial, and religious harassment, assault, false imprisonment, and disability discrimination on the job, among other things. Some, but not all of these claims, are against Lizzo herself. The suit details one night in Amsterdam’s Red Light District in February 2023, claiming that Lizzo pressured Davis into touching a nude performer.
Williams and Davis are claiming wrongful termination, while Rodriguez quit to protest their firing.
In response to Lizzo’s lengthy response, Ron Zambrano, the attorney representing the dancers, said that Lizzo has “failed her own brand and has let down her fans,” adding that her “dismissive comments and utter lack of empathy are quite telling about her character and only serve to minimize the trauma she has caused the plaintiffs and other employees who have now come forward sharing their own negative experiences.”
According to TMZ, Lizzo has retained Marty Singer, who has represented more big names in Hollywood than likely any other entertainment lawyer. He is already hard at work.
Kenzie Bryant
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