Musician Lizzo issued a lengthy statement in response to a lawsuit filed by three former dancers who accused the musician of various acts, from assault to harassment.
In a statement, the Grammy-winning musician said that the last few days following the lawsuit have been "gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing." Lizzo added that her work ethic, morals, and respectfulness have been questioned, and her character has been criticized.
Lizzo Responds to Allegations of Harassment
She noted that while she typically does not respond to false allegations, the recent accusations were too unbelievable and outrageous to leave alone. Lizzo claims that the former dancers who filed the lawsuit already publicly admitted that they were told that their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.
The suit noted that Arianna Davis was fired for allegedly filming a meeting where Lizzo gave notes to the dancers, and she argued that she wanted to review the video later. On the other hand, the musician said that she is not the villain that many have portrayed her to be following the filing of the lawsuit, as per Vanity Fair.
Lizzo said that she is very open with her sexuality and expression of herself, adding that she cannot accept or allow other people to use that stance to make her out as something she is not.
The musician addressed the accusation that Davis was singled out for gaining weight and eventually getting kicked out. This was seen as the one that hit Lizzo's fans the hardest.
The other former dancers who filed the lawsuit were Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez. In the filing, the three women claim sexual, racial, and religious harassment, assault, false imprisonment, and disability discrimination on the job.
The lawyer representing the three former dancers, Ron Zambrano, claimed that the nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to have gone against everything that the musician stands for publicly, according to BuzzFeed.
Lizzo's Supposed True Nature
Following the lawsuit, director Sophia Nahli Allison also claimed that Lizzo treated her with "disrespect" and that the musician was allegedly "arrogant, self-centered, and unkind." Allison said she saw Lizzo's true nature while directing a documentary on the musician in 2019.
Beyonce has also become involved in the controversy as she allegedly dropped Lizzo's name from her remix of "Break My Soul." However, the singer-songwriter's mother refuted the claims that it had any relation to the recent lawsuit against Lizzo.
On the other hand, others have come to support Lizzo amid the lawsuit, including Canadian singer-songwriter Claire Elise Boucher, more commonly known as Grimes. She said that she was not disputing any allegations but argued that she had previously had dancers who were mistreated but that she did not find out until later.
Grimes said loyalty matters to her, adding that Lizzo was kind to her and several others for a decade before she was considered "cool." The Canadian singer argued that Lizzo checked in on her when no one else cared about her, said People.
Related Article : Lizzo Lawsuit: Sexual Harassment Allegations and Other Things to Know
