(RepublicanDaily.org) – Pop singer and rapper Lizzo is facing a lawsuit from three of her former dancers who have accused the artist of creating a hostile work environment.
In the lawsuit, Ron Zambrano, who represents the plaintiffs, called Lizzo’s behavior against his clients “absolutely demoralizing.” The pop sensation has long been a very public advocate for body positivity, but the lawsuit accuses her of body-shaming and going as far as firing a dancer for gaining weight.
The plaintiffs – Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez – also leveled the charge of sexual harassment against Lizzo and her dance captain, Shirlene Quigley. They allege that the singer forced them to touch a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam, while Quigley purportedly shared vulgar and inappropriate fantasies with them, discussed the virginity of one of the plaintiffs in public, and made fun of dancers who engaged in intimate relations outside of marriage.
The three former dancers also claimed that they were falsely accused of drinking alcohol while working, and as a result, were punished by being subjected to an “excruciating” audition.
Davis and Williams first encountered Lizzo when they competed on the singer’s reality TV show “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” which began airing on Amazon Prime in 2021. They performed with the artist until they were terminated earlier this year. Similarly, Rodriguez began working with Lizzo in 2021 after performing in one of the latter’s music videos and resigned around the same time Davis and Williams did.
Big Grrrls Big Tour (BGBT), Lizzo’s production company, is also named as a defendant in the suit, with the plaintiffs accusing the organization and Lizzo of being aware of the harassment the dancers experienced and but not taking any action against it. The production company is also being accused of racism, with the lawsuit stating that black dancers were often deemed “lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes” by the BGBT management team, which was largely comprised of “white Europeans”.
Both Lizzo and BGBT have yet to issue any statements or comments on the issue.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and seeks unspecified damages.
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