Lizzo’s ex-dancers slam singer’s response to sexual harassment claims

The lawyer representing the three dancers to have brought a lawsuit against Lizzo has spoken out after the singer denied their claims.

Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez made the complaints in a 44-page lawsuit filed Tuesday (1 August), which names the “Truth Hurts” singer, her touring company and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley as defendants.

“Given Lizzo is denying that any of this happened, let’s take it to trial,” said Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Employment Lawyers in a statement.

“More witnesses are coming forward every day corroborating the plaintiffs’ allegations, so we’re looking forward to facing Lizzo and her team in court.”

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:

US singer is known for promoting body positivity and standing up for women’s rights

Beyoncé fans have speculated that she left Lizzo’s name out of a live performance due to recent allegations made against the singer.

The pop star, 41, regularly performs “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)” as part of her set for the ongoing worldwide Renaissance tour.

There is a segment in the song’s lyrics in which Beyoncé lists off a number of Black female artists, including Lizzo, Lauryn Hill, Betty Davis, and her sister Solange Knowles.

During her performance in Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday night (1 August), the singer altered the lyrics, appearing to leave out Lizzo’s name on purpose.

Some fans believe the altered lyrics were a reference to recent criticism from Erykah Badu

“Given Lizzo is denying that any of this happened, let’s take it to trial,” said Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Employment Lawyers in a statement.

“More witnesses are coming forward every day corroborating the plaintiffs’ allegations, so we’re looking forward to facing Lizzo and her team in court.”

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”.

In her first statement since news that three dancers are suing Lizzo for sexual harassment and workplace misconduct, the singer has denied she fat-shamed the plaintiffs.

“There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world, I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticise or terminate an employee because of their weight,” she said.

Former employees launched allegations of inappropriate conduct against the ‘Truth Hurts’ singer this week

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.

Singer’s ex-creative director, a dancer and a filmmaker have all shared their personal insights on social media

In addition to his original support for Lizzo, as she faces damaging allegations, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Kahanna Montrese posted another separate Instagram Story, telling the singer to “stay strong”.