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Lizzo Sued For Sexual Harassment By 3 Backup Dancers: She Made Us Eat a Banana From a … on August 2, 2023 at 10:11 pm The Hollywood Gossip
Throughout her career, Lizzo has emphasized the importance of kindness and publicly championed marginalized people from all walks of life.
But if the details of a new lawsuit are to be believed, the pop mega-star has not been practicing what she preaches.
Lizzo is now being sued by three of her former backup dancers.
The ex-employees claim that they were subjected to sexual harassment and relentless body-shaming during their time on tour with Lizzo.
Lizzo performs onstage at the iHeartRadio Z100âs Jingle Ball 2022 Presented by Capital One at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2022 in New York, New York. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
In a civil suit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez allege that Lizzo and her dance team captain Shirlene Quigley also subjected them to racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment.
The dancers are seeking unspecified damages, and their suit names Quigley and Melissa Viviane Jefferson — known professionally as Lizzo — and her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc.
In one shocking portion of the civil complaint, the trio allege that their bosses took them to a sex show in Amsterdam, at which they were forced to eat a banana from a performer’s vagina.
Lizzo attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
They also allege that they were forced to work “grueling” 12-hour days and were falsely accused of infractions such as drinking on the job.
The dancers say that on at least one occasion, Lizzo made a disparaging comment about a dancer’s weight.
Obviously, it’ll likely be several months before this case is resolved, but Lizzo is already being convicted in the court of public opinion.
Lizzo poses during Reel To Reel: LOVE, LIZZO at The GRAMMY Museum on December 14, 2022. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Documentary filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison took to Twitter this week to echo the claim that Lizzo is a toxic boss.
“I usually do not comment on anything pop culture related,” Allison wrote.
“But, In 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about 2 weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her,” she continued.
Lizzo, winner of the Outstanding Competition Program award for âLizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,â poses in the press room during the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
“She is a narcissistic bully and has built her brand off of lies. I was excited to support and protect a Black woman through the documentary process but quickly learned her image and ‘message’ was a curated facade,” Allison went on.
“I was treated with such disrespect by her. I witnessed how arrogant, self-centered, and unkind she is.”
Neither Lizzo nor Quigley has commented publicly on the situation.
Lizzo performs at The Kia Forum on November 18, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
And both parties will likely remain mum at the request of their attorneys.
We’ll have further updates on this developing situation as new information becomes available.
Lizzo Sued For Sexual Harassment By 3 Backup Dancers: She Made Us Eat a Banana From a … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
Throughout her career, Lizzo has emphasized the importance of kindness and publicly championed marginalized people from all walks of life. …
Lizzo Sued For Sexual Harassment By 3 Backup Dancers: She Made Us Eat a Banana From a … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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