Lizzo denies sexual harassment allegations in lawsuit

Jump to content Sign up to our newsletters Subscribe News Sports Voices Culture Lifestyle Travel Premium Close Lizzo has said ‘I’m not the villain’ Lizzo has said ‘I’m not the villain’ in response to sexual harassment and fat-shaming claims in a lawsuit filed by three former troupe members. ‘These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized,’ she wrote in a statement posted on her social media channels. Shortly after the singer broke her silence, the accusers reacted in shock to Lizzo’s ‘disheartening’ response to their claims during their first UK TV appearance since their allegations came to light on Tuesday (1 August). ‘Initially for me it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated,’ Crystal Williams said on Channel 4. According to the legal filing , Lizzo (real name Melissa Viviane Jefferson) allegedly pressured one of her dancers, Arianna Davis into touching a nude performer at an Amsterdam strip club. It is also alleged that the Grammy winner set up a humiliating 12-hour re-audition for her dancers, and fostered a hostile work environment. 1691215647 Arianna Davis was worried refusing to strip might ‘hinder chances’ of being hired by singer Tom Murray 5 August 2023 07:07 1691212227 In addition to his original support for Lizzo, as she faces damaging allegations, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Kahanna Montrese posted another separate Instagram Story, telling the singer to ‘stay strong’. Kahanna Montrese supports Lizzo on Instagram Story Tom Murray 5 August 2023 06:10 1691208387 Dancers who filed lawsuit against Lizzo describe star’s alleged ‘weight-shaming’ Tom Murray 5 August 2023 05:06 1691204847 Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison has claimed quit a documentary about Lizzo because she displayed ‘unkind and cruel’ behaviour. The documentarian was set to make a film with Lizzo in 2019, but walked away after shadowing the singer for two weeks. After the news that the singer was being sued by three former employees, Allison spoke out in support of the workers and claimed Lizzo was so ‘arrogant, unkind and cruel’ that she quit the project. ‘Her image and ‘message’ is a curated facade,’ documentarian Sophia Nahli Allison said Tom Murray 5 August 2023 04:07 1691201307 The Independent’s LA correspondent discusses Lizzo accusations on Woman’s Hour Tom Murray 5 August 2023 03:08 1691197767 During the set for her Renaissance world tour, the singer regularly performs ‘Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)’, in which she lists off a number of Black female artists, including Lizzo, Lauryn Hill, Betty Davis, and her sister Solange Knowles. However, Beyonce’s fashion designer mother Tina, 69, has shut down this claim on Instagram. Beyonce didn’t say Lizzo’s name during her performance of ‘Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)’ on Tuesday Tom Murray 5 August 2023 02:09 1691194227 In a statement posted on social media, Lizzo said the lawsuit was full of ‘sensationalised stories coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional’. She continued: ‘I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans. ‘With passion comes hard work and high standards,’ Lizzo added. ‘Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.’ The ‘Juice’ singer stressed that she does not want to be seen ‘as a victim’, but added: ‘I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days.’ She denied fat-shaming any of her employees, and shared she felt ‘hurt’ by the claims against her, while expressing her gratitude for the support she has received. ‘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,’ she finished. Tom Murray 5 August 2023 01:10 1691191089 The other defendants include Quigley and Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. Davis alleges that Quigley ‘regularly preached at [her] about what [she] believed to be a shared Christian identity’ and it was claimed that she had often ‘pushed’ her beliefs on members of the dance group and made them feel ‘uncomfortable’. The lawsuit claims Davis’s virginity became a topic of ‘extreme importance’ to Quigley during the filming of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls . She allegedly ‘broadcast’ this ‘intensely personal detail’ about Davis ‘to the world’ – including during interviews – without her permission. Quigley allegedly made derisive comments about people who engaged in pre-marital sex despite knowing some members of the troupe ‘did not share her views’. Davis, Williams, and Rodrigues also accuse Quigley of ‘sexually inappropriate behaviour’ at work, including allegedly simulating oral sex on a banana in front of the cast. They claim this ‘party trick’ left the plaintiffs feeling very uncomfortable. They also claim Quigley made ‘sexually explicit comments’, including sharing her sexual fantasies with the cast. She has been accused of imposing her religious beliefs on Rodriguez, a ‘non-believer’. When Rodriguez asked Quigley to ‘refrain’ from doing this, the dance captain allegedly became ‘irate and yelled at her’. The claims against Big Grrrl include allegations of racism towards the black woman on the dance team, with members of the management team accusing them ‘of being lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes’. Tom Murray 5 August 2023 00:18 1691187005 In the 44-page lawsuit, three dancers detail allegations of assault, inappropriate sexual behaviour, workplace misconduct, disability discrimination, and religious harassment against Lizzo and her production company , Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc (BGBT). It’s a lot to get your head around; so, The Independent has compiled a one-sheet of all the allegations made by the plaintiffs here. Grammy winner, 35, responded to the ‘outrageous’ claims on Wednesday Tom Murray 4 August 2023 23:10 1691181091 Lizzo talks about wanting to go to banana sex show during 2019 interview Tom Murray 4 August 2023 21:31 Reuters Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in