Lizzo faces lawsuit from former dancers alleging sexual harassment and weight shaming 

Three former dancers of renowned singer Lizzo have filed a legal complaint in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, accusing her and her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., of sexual harassment, weight shaming, and creating a hostile work environment. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday and details disturbing allegations against the singer and her team. 

The plaintiffs, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, who began working with Lizzo in 2021, have reported a series of troubling incidents, including sexual, religious, and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment during their time on the dance team. 

According to the complaint, one of the dancers was allegedly pressured by Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Jefferson, into touching a nude performer at a sexually-themed show at a club in Amsterdam, despite expressing discomfort with the request. 

“Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers,” the lawsuit claimed. 

Practice what you preach! Not quite? 

In striking contrast to Lizzo’s public advocacy for body positivity, the lawsuit accuses her of making body-shaming comments toward one of the dancers. The same dancer claims to have been criticized by the singer and subsequently fired after recording a meeting due to a health condition. 

“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,” their lawyer Ron Zambrano said in a statement. 

Further allegations include claims that the dancers were forced to re-audition for their positions following accusations from the Grammy winner of drinking on the job and not meeting performance standards. 

Additionally, the dance team’s captain, Shirlene Quigley, has been implicated in the lawsuit for attempting to impose religious beliefs on the performers. Quigley is also accused of making sexually inappropriate comments, including discussions about masturbation and sexual fantasies. 

The complaint outlines that Davis and Williams initially joined Lizzo’s team after competing on her Amazon reality show, “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” in 2021. However, they were later fired. Rodriguez, who appeared in Lizzo’s music video “Rumors” the same year, subsequently resigned from the dance team early this year. 

As of now, Lizzo has not publicly commented on the allegations made against her and her production company. The legal proceedings will likely attract significant attention as the details of the case continue to unfold.