Lizzo is facing sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment accusations after three of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against the Truth Hurts star.
In the suit filed Tuesday, the dancers allege that the 35-year-old Detroit native pressured one of them to touch a nude performer in Amsterdam and subjected dancers to an “excruciating” audition after she accused them of drinking on the job.
Lizzo has long been known to promote body positivity but has been accused of berating a dancer because of her weight gain. The suit claims that the dancer was later fired because of a health condition.
The suit, obtained by NBC News, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. It alleges Lizzo’s dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, also engaged in inappropriate actions, including cajoling other performers, ridiculing those who had premarital sex, sharing lewd sexual fantasies, simulating oral sex and publicly speaking about the virginity of one of the dancers.
The suit’s plaintiffs – Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez – represented by attorney Ron Zambrano, names Melissa Viviane Jefferson (Lizzo’s legal name), her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and Quigley as defendants.
The suit accuses Lizzo and her team of religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment and interference with prospective economic advantage, among and other allegations.
“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,” Zambrano said in a statement.
The suit does not indicate the amount the plaintiffs are seeking in damages but does state that the damages would cover emotional distress, unpaid wages, loss of earnings and attorney’s fees.
Meanwhile, Lizzo was recently seen in a social media clip telling a fan in Australia how beautiful she was and could “be the greatest dancer in the world.”
“The words that we say have a long-lasting effect on people,” Lizzo told the fan who said she has been the subject of bullying.
