Lizzo’s backup dancers file lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, fat-shaming – National | 24CA News
Three of Lizzo‘s former performers are suing the singer, alleging sexual harassment and accusing her of creating a hostile work environment. There are also accusations that Lizzo pressured one of them to interact with a nude performer against their will in Amsterdam, and that the pop superstar has shamed and degraded members of her staff based on their looks and weight.
The lawsuit, first reported on by NBC News, was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. It also names Lizzo’s manufacturing firm, Big Grrrl Touring, Inc., and Shirlene Quigley, Lizzo’s dance workforce captain, as defendants.
The swimsuit, filed by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, alleges that the defendants created a hostile work atmosphere by way of spiritual, sexual and racial harassment. It additionally alleges two separate lewd incidents involving a banana.
The dancers are suing for damages over emotional misery together with unpaid wages, lack of earnings and lawyer’s charges.
Lizzo performs on this undated picture.
BBC Radio 1 / YouTube
According to NBC, which seen the lawsuit, Quigley is accused of proselytizing different dancers and shaming those that had premarital intercourse, whereas additionally discussing lewd sexual fantasies, simulating oral intercourse and publicly discussing one of many plaintiffs’ virginity.
Lizzo is accused of constructing “thinly veiled” criticisms of Davis’s weight. The lawsuit alleges that the singer informed Davis she appeared “less committed” to her position on the dance workforce, a remark Davis believes was primarily based on her dimension.
The most stunning accusations, nevertheless, come from February of this 12 months, when the group was touring in Amsterdam and made a post-show go to to a strip membership.
The lawsuit alleges that whereas Lizzo routinely hosted non-mandatory afterparties, those that attended have been usually handled higher by the singer and have been granted extra job safety.
At the membership, referred to as Bananenbar, Lizzo “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas,” the swimsuit says. “Lizzo then turned her attention to Ms. Davis and began pressuring Ms. Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women.”
At first, the swimsuit says, Davis declined, however Lizzo was allegedly adamant and started a chant that ultimately turned so loud and raucous that Davis gave in and touched the performer. There are additionally allegations that Lizzo pressured a member of her safety workforce to take the stage and was yelling on the worker, “Take it off.”
The plaintiffs declare that, only a month later, Lizzo, 35, deceived them as soon as once more into attending a nude present in Paris, thereby “robbing them of the choice not to participate,” Jezebel studies.
Davis additionally alleges that at one level she was pressured to “soil herself” on stage throughout an “excruciating” re-audition, “fearing the repercussions” of excusing herself to go to the restroom.
The dancers behind the lawsuit all started working with Lizzo in 2021. Davis and Williams joined Lizzo’s dance crew for the Amazon actuality collection Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. Rodriguez was employed after showing in Lizzo’s 2021 Rumors video.
Williams was let go from the crew in April of this 12 months, shortly after entering into an argument with Lizzo, however says she was informed she was let go due to “budget cuts.” Davis claims she was fired a month later, in May, after Lizzo found she had made an audio recording of efficiency notes she’d been given.
Rodriguez, in the meantime, mentioned she publicly give up the workforce in solidarity with teammates who have been being handled poorly.
Pitchfork studies the lawsuit claims that Lizzo, after listening to Rodriguez’s resignation, “approached Ms. Rodriguez aggressively, yelling profanities, cracking her knuckles, and balling her fists apparently preparing herself (to) attack.” Lizzo allegedly yelled, “You’re so f—ing lucky” and was pulled away. Rodriguez is suing Lizzo for assault over this incident.
“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’ lawyer, Ron Zambrano, mentioned in a press release offered to media.
Lizzo, her manufacturing firm and Quigley haven’t responded to requests for remark or issued statements addressing the allegations or the lawsuit.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
