Lizzo sued: Dancers file sexual harassment lawsuit
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Three of Lizzo’s former backup dancers have sued the Grammy-winning singer, accusing her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. The complaint, filed in a Los Angeles court Tuesday, alleges that dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez were exposed to a “sexually charged and uncomfortable” work environment and that harassment was “so severe or pervasive” that it made their employment conditions “intolerable.” Davis also accused the singer of pressuring her into touching a nude performer’s breasts while at a night club in Amsterdam.
Representatives for Lizzo and Shirlene Quigley, a dance captain for the singer who was also named in the suit, did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Monday. Big Grrrl Big Touring, Lizzo’s production company, was also named as a defendant.
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Two of the plaintiffs met Lizzo while competing on a reality TV show for a chance to perform with her on tour. The other dancer was hired separately. They were associated with Lizzo from roughly spring 2021 to early summer 2023.
The dancers say that Lizzo paid undue attention to one of the plaintiffs’s weight gain, repeatedly yelled and cursed at performers and invited them to attend events as spectators without disclosing that there would be nudity on show. The filing also alleges that Williams was fired in public by an agent of Lizzo about a week after a workplace confrontation with the singer, while Davis was terminated for recording a meeting with Lizzo so that she could review it for feedback about a performance. That incident prompted Rodriguez to resign, according to the suit.
Lizzo, born Melissa Viviane Jefferson, rose to fame in 2019 with her album “Cuz I Love You” after years as a successful underground singer. She has built a brand rooted in self-love and the body positivity movement and launched a shapewear brand with Fabletics last year. Lizzo, a trained flutist, has been outspoken about social issues such as abortion rights, discrimination against transgender people and racism in the music industry.
“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly,” said Ron Zambrano, an attorney for the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages for unpaid wages and loss of earnings and compensation for emotional distress, among other things.
Source: The Washington Post
