Lizzo sued by former backup dancers, accused of sexual harassment and ‘fat-phobic’ treatment
01.08.2023 - 20:39
/ foxnews.com
Singer Lizzo is being sued by three of her former dancers for sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, according to a suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday on their behalf. The suit, obtained by Fox News Digital, also alleges the plaintiffs were pressured to touch a nude performer at an Amsterdam nightclub, endure an "excruciating" audition after claims of unprofessionalism and drinking on the job, and that they were prevented from finding work outside the tour.
Representatives for Lizzo did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. "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 lawyer for the plaintiffs, Ron Zambrano, said in a statement.
Two of the plaintiffs, Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams, began working with Lizzo after competing on her Amazon reality show, "Watch Out for the Big Grrrls," in 2021, and were later fired, according to the suit. The third plaintiff, Noelle Rodriguez, was hired the same year after performing in the music video for Lizzo’s song "Rumors" and later resigned.
Davis claims she was questioned about her body after a performance at the South by Southwest festival, saying comments about her seeming "less committed" to her role on tour were "thinly veiled concerns" about her gaining weight. Lizzo, born Melissa Jefferson, is described as "relentless" in her questioning, as well as in other instances in the suit, particularly a night out in Amsterdam’s red-light district after a performance.