Lizzo has responded to the sexual harassment and discrimination allegations made against her and her production company by three of her former dancers. The dancers –Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez – filed a lawsuit against Lizzo, her Big Grrl Big Touring production company, and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley this week, accusing them of false imprisonment, body shaming, and sexual, racial, and religious harassment, among other charges. In a statement posted on social media, Lizzo described the allegations as “false,” “sensationalized,” and “too outrageous not to be addressed.”
“I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days,” she wrote. “I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not. 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 criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight. I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time.” Read the complete statement below.
The dancers’ attorney Ron Zambrano said in a statement: “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.”
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