Lizzo accused of sexual harassment and weight-shaming by dancers
L
izzo is being accused of fat-shaming and sexual harassment by three of her former backup dancers after her world tour.
Lizzo – actual title Melissa Viviane Jefferson – is being sued by the dancers who accuse the Grammy winner of sexual harassment after allegedly pressurising her crew to the touch the breasts of a nude lady within the infamous Red Light District of Amsterdam.
The swimsuit claims Lizzo allegedly inspired her tour crew into “catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.”
They additionally accuse the Juice singer, who routinely champions physique positivity, for calling out certainly one of her dancers Arianna Davis- for gaining weight and shaming her for not being dedicated to her function in entrance of her crew earlier than firing her.
Plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez make quite a few prices together with sexual, non secular and racial harassment, incapacity discrimination, assault and false imprisonment.
The authorized grievance seeks unspecified damages and names Lizzo, her manufacturing firm Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and Shirlene Quigley, captain of the performer’s dance workforce.
Representatives for Lizzo didn’t instantly reply to emails from AP searching for touch upon the lawsuit.
One go to to a membership named Bananenbar allegedly resulted in performers being inspired to the touch nude performers by Lizzo.
During the present, Lizzo led a chant pressuring Davis to the touch the breasts of one of many nude ladies performing on the membership, the submitting states.
“Finally, the chorus became overwhelming, and a mortified Ms Davis acquiesced in an attempt to bring an end to the chants,” the grievance states. “Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed.”
Lizzo can also be accused of calling out Davis for her weight achieve after accusing the dancer of not being dedicated to her function. Davis was fired in May for recording a gathering throughout which Lizzo had given out notes to dancers about their performances, in accordance with the grievance.
Davis took to Instagram Stories to induce folks the swimsuit was not an excuse for folks to be “fatphobic, racist or just plain mean”. She added: “No matter what happened please be kind to all parties involved.”
Lizzo additionally “hurled expletives” at her dancers and acted “aggressively” in direction of Ms Williams by “cracking her knuckles (and) balling her fists”, the grievance acknowledged.
Quigley, who served as a choose on the singer’s actuality present “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” is accused within the lawsuit of pushing her Christian beliefs onto dancers. The courtroom submitting claims Quigley referred to Davis as a “non-believer” and instructed co-workers that “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord.”
Earlier this 12 months, Lizzo gained the Grammy for report of the 12 months for her hit “About Damn Time.” A world tour supporting her fourth studio album, 2022’s “Special,” wrapped up final month.