Lizzo: Former staff support dancers accusing her of sexual harassment and fat-shaming

Lizzo’s fans are calling on the singer to respond to the allegations of sexual harassment and fat-shaming as outlined in a lawsuit filed by three of her former troupe members.

Social media users are asking the Grammy winner to address the accusations in the comments section of her latest post, shared yesterday.

“Please address the sexual harassment lawsuit,” one comment read, while another person said: “In order to know exactly what happened we should wait for an statement from both sides to confirm whether or not the allegations are true.”

Since reports of the lawsuit began to emerge, several of Lizzo’s previous collaborators have spoken out in support of the accusers.

Courtney Hollinquest, a dancer who used to be a part of Lizzo’s dance troupe, shared an NBC News article about the lawsuit before stating that she had had a similar experience.

“For clarification, I’m not a part of the lawsuit – but this was very much my experience in my time there,” Hollinquest wrote on her Instagram Story on Tuesday. “Big shoutout to the dancers who had the courage to bring this to light.”

Lizzo’s former creative director Quinn Wilson said she “grieves part of my own experience” working with the Grammy winner, asking space “to understand my feelings”.

If you’re just joining us now, Lizzo’s former troupe members have filed a lawsuit against the “Rumors” single, claiming she sexually harassed them and created a toxic working environment.

The plaintiffs’ accusations have come as a shock to the singer’s fans, as Lizzo is known for promoting body positivity and supporting women’s rights.

You can read more about the filing here:

Lyrics from a famous Lizzo song are raising eyebrows in the wake of the lawsuit filed against the singer.

The singer is being sued by her former dancers for alleged sexual harassment and for allegedly establishing a hostile work environment, with the lawsuit claiming that Lizzo “hounded” one of the plaintiffs into touching a nude performer at an Amsterdam strip club.

Since the lawsuit was reported, lyrics from Lizzo’s Cardi B collaboration “Rumors”, released in 2021, are circulating social media.

The lyrics read: “Had to cut some hoes loose, yeah / NDA, no loose lips / Now them hoes tryna sue me / B****, I don’t give two s***s / All the rumors are true, yeah.”

An episode of Lizzo’s reality series from 2021 shows the singer encouraging dancers to pose nude as part of a challenge on the talent show to become one of her dancers.

The series, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, which is available on Prime Video, shows one contestant in particular who is visibly uncomfortable with a naked photo shoot challenge – Arianna Davis. Davis is now one of three dancers suing Lizzo for alleged sexual harassment.

The plaintiffs include Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, who filed the paperwork at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday 1 August.

Claims against the singer include that she invited her employees “to take turns touching nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas” at a strip club in Amsterdam.

She is also accused of fat-shaming Davis, who was fired after Lizzo discovered her recording one of their meetings due to a health condition. “Ms Quigley and Lizzo then took turns berating Ms Davis,” the paperwork reportedly read. “After castigating Ms Davis, Lizzo fired Ms Davis on the spot.”

Quigley also allegedly “made comments deriding people who engaged in pre-marital sex, knowing that some members of the dance cast did not share her views”.

Filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison has called Lizzo out for treating her “with such disrespect” after the singer’s former dancers accused her of body-shaming and sexual harassment. lawsuit against the singer

“In 2019, I travelled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary,” Allison wrote on an Instagram story. “I walked away after about two weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her.

“I witnessed how arrogant, self-centred, and unkind she is. I was not protected and was thrown into a s***ty situation with little support. My spirit said to run as fast as you f***ing can and I’m so grateful I trusted my gut.”

Beyoncé fans have speculated she left out Lizzo’s name during a live performance on Tuesday in light of the recent allegations against her.

Social media users noted Beyoncé altered the lyrics of her song “Break My Soul (The Queen’s Remix)” in which she lists off a number of Black female artists, including Lizzo, Lauryn Hill, Betty Davis, and her sister Solange Knowles.

While performing in Boston, Massachusetts, on Tuesday night, Beyoncé appeared to leave out Lizzo’s name on purpose.

Two of Lizzo’s ex-employees have spoken out in support of the lawsuit filed by three of the singer’s former backing dancers.

In a statement posted on Instagram, dancer Courtney Hollinquest said that although she isn’t a part of the lawsuit, “this was very much my experience” while working with Lizzo.

“Big shoutout to the dancers who had the courage to bring this to light,” she wrote.

Lizzo’s former creative director Quinn Whitney Wilson re-shared Hollinquest’s Instagram Story, “echoing” what she said.

“I haven’t been apart [sic] of that world for around three years, for a reason,” Wilson shared. “I very much applaud the dancers courage to bring this to light. and I grieve parts of my own experience.”

Another person to have spoken out after the lawsuit is the filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison, who also claims to have had a negative experience working with the singer.

A 44-page lawsuit against Lizzo alleges the singer sexually harassed and body shamed her backup dancers, as the plaintiffs’ attorney said their experiences “seem to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly”.

One of the plaintiffs, Arianna Davis claims Lizzo pressured her to “touch the breasts of one of the nude women” performing at an Amsterdam strip club and allegedly made a thinly-veiled reference to her apparent weight gain.

Lizzo also allegedly forced her dancers to “re-audition for their spots” during a 12-hour “excruciating” process, after becoming convinced they had been drinking the night before shows.

Davis said she soiled herself during the audition because she was fearful of using the bathroom.

Other allegations against her and her production company include racial and religious harassment, fat-shaming, disability discrimination, and false imprisonment.

Here’s what we know so far: