In an effort to keep pop singer Lizzo out of court, her attorneys have filed a request to dismiss the harassment case from her former wardrobe stylist.
In September, Lizzo's stage clothes designer and tour co-worker Asha Daniels accused the singer and others of fostering an unsafe and sexually charged work environment.
"I was witnessing myself, the dancers and the background vocalists, and my local team in every city be harassed and bullied regularly," she said in an interview with NBC News.
Some people were also accused of very severe wrongdoing. For example, Daniels said that a wardrobe manager imitated a stereotypically sassy Black lady and used racist and threatening words.
Members of the team allegedly discussed hiring sex workers for indecent activities, attending sex shows, and purchasing hard drugs, while another manager was accused of emailing sexually graphic content to a group chat. The attorney for Daniels contended that Lizzo was involved.
'Bogus' Accusation?
In a report by The Guardian, an attorney representing Lizzo characterized the case as "a bogus, absurd publicity stunt" and said that Daniels had never had any kind of communication with the musician.
Now, Lizzo's legal team is attempting to have the case thrown out, claiming that Daniels is a New York resident who worked for a Delaware firm. Thus, the lawsuit cannot be brought in California.
Moreover, they said the case lacked validity and painted Daniels as a disgruntled former worker who defied orders and just stopped showing up for work. According to Lizzo's camp, Daniels was let go because she failed to show up for work the day of the show.
Prior to her dismissal, Daniels claimed that she had taken a sick day from work owing to an allergic reaction. She said that she was informed her dismissal was due to her earlier complaints about the harassment.
As per Daniels' attorney, Lizzo's side is attempting to pin the blame on the victims in the latest petition. "Lizzo and her lawyers can continue trying to rationalize her illegal and wretched conduct, but we remain committed to seeking justice for our clients and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behavior in a public forum."
Daniels' case has not yet been given the green light to go forward.
Earlier Case
In August, Lizzo was accused of sexual harassment and of creating an unsafe work environment, according to a complaint that was brought against her by three of her former backup dancers.
The lawsuit from the dancers claims that she pressured and shamed the involved dancers because of their weight. Among the many grave accusations are those of sexual, racial, and religious harassment; false detention; and discrimination based on disability.
Lizzo has denied these accusations. A judgment has not been reached yet, but in October, Lizzo's attorneys moved to dismiss that claim.
