Lizzo has broken her silence and denied allegations three of her former dancers have accused her of in a lawsuit filed last week.
The dancers claim Lizzo weight-shamed them, sexually harassed them, and had a “hostile work environment”.
“The last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing,” she wrote on Instagram. “My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”
Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, the three former dancers filed a lawsuit Aug. 1 in Los Angeles against Lizzo and her team, citing she coerced one of them to touch a nude dancer at an Amsterdam strip club and forced them to do an exhaustive audition after deceptively claiming they drunk on the job. The lawsuit also cited allegations of weight-shaming and racial and religious harassment.
Lizzo, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, and dance captain Shirlene Quigley are named defendants.
“These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” she wrote.
“With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
Sources: CNN.com, Today.com, TheJasmineBrand.com, Variety.com
