The lawyers representing three of Lizzo’s ex-dancers have said they are reviewing new complaints from women who claim to have been employed by the singer.
Last week, it was reported that the Grammy-award winning singer, 35, was being sued by former members of her dance troupe for sexual harassment and weight shaming. Lizzo, real name Melissa Jefferson, denied the allegations days later on Thursday (3 August), stating that the lawsuit claims are “false”.
Ron Zambrano, the attorney representing the dancers, told NBC news that his law firm is now looking into the allegations from at least six people who said they toured with Lizzo and on her Amazon Studios reality show Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.
Zambrano told the news outlet that the allegations are regarding “sexually charged environment” and “failure to pay employees”.
"Some of the claims we are reviewing may be actionable, but it is too soon to say," he told the outlet on Tuesday (8 August).
The Independent has contacted Lizzo’s representatives for comment.
On Thursday (3 July), Lizzo responded to the 44-page lawsuit on social media, telling fans that “there is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world”.
The singer-songwriter described the allegations as being “as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed”. You can find a full breakdown of the allegations here.
The allegations against Lizzo were made by Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, former members of Lizzo’s Big Grrrls dance troupe.
In the lawsuit, it is claimed that Lizzo pressured one of the dancers into touching a naked performer at a strip club in Amsterdam, and called attention to another’s weight gain before terminating her contract after a health condition prompted her to record a meeting.
Lizzo performing at Glastonbury Festival this year— (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
On Thursday, Lizzo addressed the allegations on social media.
“These sensationalised stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” she said.
“As an artist I have always been very passionate about what I do. 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. 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.”
She continued: “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 criticise or terminate an employee because of their weight.”
You can read the full response here.
Lizzo’s accusers have since responded to her statement, describing her reaction to the lawsuit as “disheartening”.
In an interview with Channel 4, Williams said: “Initially for me, it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated.”
“I think the overall theme in all this is that our experiences were our experiences and our traumas were our traumas,” she continued. “In bringing that forward, it feels like it was disregarded completely. It feels like we were made out to be putting out false allegations when that’s not the case.”
The Independent has contacted a representative of Lizzo for comment.
