Cait Stoddard August 3rd, 2023 - 12:38 PM
According to pitchfork.com, artist Lizzo has responded to the alleged lawsuit from her three former dancers. The alleged lawsuit was filed against the artist earlier this week and now Lizzo has allegedly stated that the “false allegations” are “as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”
The dancers are allegedly suing Lizzo for alleged sexual harassment and allegedly creating a hostile work environment. Also all three ladies are allegedly seeking damages for alleged emotional distress which allegedly includes unpaid wages, loss of earnings and attorney fees.
Earlier today Lizzo went on Twitter to share her response about the allegations against her.
— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) August 3, 2023
“With passion comes hard work and high standards. 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. I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be be these last few days. I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not.” Lizzo’s full Twitter statement can be found below the article.
In response to the artist’s statement, the dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez went on CNN This Morning to further elaborate on the claims from the lawsuit.
“It took me until actually leaving the camp that I figured out that everything that went on was bad, because I just chalked it up to, you know, oh, Lizzo might be a diva, or this is just the industry, this is what we go through.” Davis added that it was “disheartening” and “incredibly frustrating” for Lizzo to deny, and try to discredit, their claims.” said Davis. Davis’s,Williams’s and Rodriguez’s full statement can be found at the end of the article.
The dancer’s alleged complaint cites alleged racial discrimination, alleged disability discrimination and an alleged incident in Amsterdam where Lizzo allegedly pressured a dancer into touching a nude performer’s bare breasts.
The lawsuit also allegedly states that during the alleged occasion, Lizzo allegedly urged dancers to “catch dldos launched from the performers’s vginas and eat bananas from the performers’s vginas.”
The three plaintiffs allegedly began working with Lizzo in 2021 where Williams allegedly claims she had allegedly lost her job after speaking up during a rehearsal when Lizzo allegedly accused the dancers of drinking ahead of rehearsals.
Davis alleges that she was fired on the spot after Lizzo allegedly discovered Davis had allegedly recorded an April 27 meeting, which Davis allegedly says she did to allegedly accommodate a stress-related eye condition. Rodriguez allegedly states that she allegedly resigned in response to Lizzo’s alleged firing of Davis.
Lizzo’s full Twitter statement.
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. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.
These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.
As an artist I have always been very passionate about what I do. 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. 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.
I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be be these last few days. I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not. There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.
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 time.”
Davis’s, Williams’s and Rodriguez’s full joint statement through their attorney.
“Lizzo has failed her own brand and has let down her fans. Her denial of this reprehensible behavior only adds to our clients’ emotional distress. The dismissive comments and utter lack of empathy are quite telling about her character and only serve to minimize the trauma she has caused the plaintiffs and other employees who have now come forward sharing their own negative experiences. While Lizzo notes it was never her intention ‘to make anyone feel uncomfortable,’ that is exactly what she did to the point of demoralizing her dancers and flagrantly violating the law.”
