Pop star Lizzo has shocked fans by announcing that she is quitting music, months after denying allegations of sexual harassment and bullying from former members of her dance troupe.
On 29 March, the multi-award-winning artist shared her intention to retire from the industry in a social media post.
“I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views... being the butt of every joke every single time because of how I look... my character being picked apart by people who don't know me and disrespecting my name,” her statement on Instagram read.
Last year, former members of her dance troupe filed claims of sexual harassment and weight-shaming by Lizzo (born Melissa Jefferson) in a 44-page lawsuit.
In the suit, dancers Arianna Davis, Noelle Rodriguez, and Crystal Williams detail allegations of assault, inappropriate sexual behaviour, workplace misconduct, disability discrimination, and religious harassment against Lizzo and her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc (BGBT).
Lizzo previously hit back at the “false allegations” in a statement posted to her social media platforms, adding that the claims are “as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed”.
In February, an LA judge denied Lizzo’s request to have the lawsuit dismissed, despite dismissing certain accusations.
Here are all the accusations Davis, Rodriguez, and Williams have made against the “Rumors” hitmaker:
What are the allegations against Lizzo?
The plaintiffs have accused Lizzo of assault, disability discrimination, and sexual harassment in the lawsuit seen by The Independent.
They have questioned the way they were terminated from Lizzo’s production company Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. In the filed complaint, the dancers accused Lizzo of calling attention to Davis’ weight gain and later berating and then firing her “on the spot” after she recorded a meeting because of a health condition.
Lizzo accepts the Record Of The Year award for ‘About Damn Time’ at the 2023 Grammys— (Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
When Rodriguez objected to Lizzo’s treatment of Davis, and resigned from the cast, Lizzo allegedly “aggressively approached” Rodriquez, who said she thought the 35-year-old would have hit her if one of the other dancers hadn’t intervened.
The accusers have testified to the “sexually charged and uncomfortable environment” they were allegedly forced to endure while working with Lizzo and her dance captain and co-defendant Quigley.
It is claimed Lizzo “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas” during a visit to a strip club in Amsterdam.
She allegedly pressured Davis “touch the breasts [of] one of the nude women” by “leading a chant goading” her.
“Finally, the chorus became overwhelming, and a mortified Ms Davis acquiesced in an attempt to bring an end to the chants,” the 44-page lawsuit states.
Lizzo allegedly “badgered” a member of her security team to get on stage where “his pants were pulled down”.
“Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed,” the lawsuit reads.
Lizzo performing at Glastonbury 2023— (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
It is alleged the dancers underwent a “brutal” re-audition after Lizzo became convinced the cast had been drinking before shows, citing their poor performances.
Davis claims she soiled herself because she was fearful of taking a bathroom break during the 12-hour rehearsal. When she found an interval to change into clean clothes, the wardrobe department allegedly gave her a see-through garment.
“[She] was required to finish the rehearsal, dancing in front of male crew members who were known to sexualise the dancers under less revealing scenarios, while wearing completely transparent shorts and no undergarments,” according to the lawsuit.
Davis claims Lizzo and her choreographer made “thinly veiled” references to her weight gain, which the singer had allegedly “previously called attention to after noticing it at the South by Southwest music festival”.
She said she felt she needed to explain her weight gain in order to keep her job, and was “hurt and emotionally drained by being forced” into disclosing she had been diagnosed with binge eating disorder.
Lizzo is said to have offered her time off from rehearsals, but Davis declined because she didn’t want to be seen as “too weak” to continue performing with the crew.
‘Sensationalised stories’ from former employees
News of the lawsuit shocked fans of Lizzo, a champion of the body positivity movement and women’s rights.
Two days later, the singer said the lawsuit was full of “sensationalised stories coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional”.
She continued: “I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans.
“With passion comes hard work and high standards,” Lizzo added. “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.”
The “Juice” singer stressed that she does not want to be seen “as a victim”, but added: “I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days.”
She denied fat-shaming any of her employees, and shared she felt “hurt” by the claims against her, while expressing her gratitude for the support she has received.
“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,” she finished.
Lizzo tasked ‘Watch Out for the Big Grrrls’ competitors with posing nude— (Prime Video)
Who else is named in the lawsuit?
The other defendants include Shirlene Quigley, the captain of Lizzo’s dance team, and Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc.
Davis alleges that Quigley “regularly preached at [her] about what [she] believed to be a shared Christian identity” and it was claimed that she had often “pushed” her beliefs on members of the dance group and made them feel “uncomfortable”.
The lawsuit claims Davis’s virginity became a topic of “extreme importance” to Quigley during the filming of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. She allegedly “broadcast” this “intensely personal detail” about Davis “to the world” – including during interviews – without her permission.
Quigley allegedly made derisive comments about people who engaged in pre-marital sex despite knowing some members of the troupe “did not share her views”.
Davis, Williams, and Rodrigues also accuse Quigley of “sexually inappropriate behaviour” at work, including allegedly simulating oral sex on a banana in front of the cast. They claim this “party trick” left the plaintiffs feeling very uncomfortable.
They also claim Quigley made “sexually explicit comments”, including sharing her sexual fantasies with the cast.
She has been accused of imposing her religious beliefs on Rodriguez, a “non-believer”. When Rodriguez asked Quigley to “refrain” from doing this, the dance captain allegedly became “irate and yelled at her”.
The Independent has reached out to Quigley’s representatives for comment.
The claims against Big Grrrl include allegations of racism towards the Black women on the dance team, with members of the management team accusing them “of being lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes”.
On 2 February 2024, Judge Mark H Epstein denied Lizzo’s request to have the entire case dismissed under California’s anti-SLAPP statute – a special law that makes it easier to quickly end meritless lawsuits that threaten free speech.
Judge Epstein dismissed some of the suit’s allegations, including a sexual harassment allegation involving a nude photoshoot on the set of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls; a disability discrimination accusation around one dancer’s allegation that she was fired from Lizzo’s tour after disclosing her mental health issues; and an allegation stating that Lizzo’s camp intentionally interfered with the dancers’ other job prospects.
However, he has allowed the suit to go ahead.
“It is dangerous for the court to weigh in, ham-fisted, into constitutionally protected activity,” the judge wrote in his decision. “But it is equally dangerous to turn a blind eye to allegations of discrimination or other forms of misconduct merely because they take place in a speech-related environment.”
As a performer, Lizzo has been known for promoting body positivity, women’s rights, LGBT+ rights, and anti-bullying. Throughout her career, she has crafted a globally successful brand of body positivity and self-love, backed up by a discography of empowerment anthems.
