Three former dancers for Grammy-winning singer Lizzo have accused her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile workplace in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Among the allegations, one of the dancers accuses Lizzo of pressuring her to touch a nude performer at an Amsterdam club.
Lizzo is a performer known for her embrace of body positivity. However, the plaintiffs accuse the singer of berating a dancer for her weight gain, then later firing the dancer for recording a meeting due to a health condition.
The plaintiffs include Arianna Davis, and Crystal Williams who began their stint performing with Lizzo after competing on her reality show “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” in 2021. The third plaintiff, Noelle Rodriguez, was also hired in 2021, after performing in a Lizzo music video. Davis and Williams were fired and Rodriguez resigned earlier this year.
The dancers also accuse the captain of Rizzo’s dance group, Shirlene Quigley, of preaching her religious beliefs constantly, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. It is unclear whether Lizzo was aware of these allegations linked to Quigley, however, the plaintiffs assert that the singer was clued in on their complaints.
Alongside Lizzo and Quigley, the suit names the singer’s production company as a defendant. The accusations include instances of sexual harassment, racial and religious harassment, false imprisonment, and interference with potential economic advantage.
“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” the plaintiffs’ attorney Ron Zambrano said.
One of the incidents detailed in the lawsuit included a trip to a strip club in Amsterdam, allegedly instigated by Lizzo. According to the suit, afterparties were not mandatory but those who did not attend were at a disadvantage from connecting personally with Lizzo in order to gain job security. During the excursion to Bananenbar, one of the dancers was pressured to touch one of the nude performers.
TheWrap has reached out to Lizzo’s representatives for comment.
A dollar amount for damages covering emotional distress, unpaid wages and legal fees for the plaintiffs was not specified within the lawsuit filing.
