What did Lizzo do? All the allegations made by former dancers – from sexual harassment to body shaming

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Pop star Lizzo has shocked followers by asserting that she is quitting music, months after denying allegations of sexual harassment and bullying from former members of her dance troupe.

On Friday (29 March), the multi-award-winning artist shared her intention to retire from the industry in a social media post.

“I’m continuously up in opposition to lies being advised about me for clout & views… being the butt of each joke each single time due to how I look… my character being picked aside by individuals who do not know me and disrespecting my identify,” her assertion on Instagram learn.

Final 12 months, former members of her dance troupe filed claims of sexual harassment and weight-shaming by Lizzo (born Melissa Jefferson) in a 44-page lawsuit.

Within the swimsuit, dancers Arianna Davis, Noelle Rodriguez, and Crystal Williams element allegations of assault, inappropriate sexual behaviour, office misconduct, incapacity discrimination, and non secular harassment in opposition to Lizzo and her production company, Huge Grrrl Huge Touring, Inc (BGBT).

Lizzo beforehand hit again on the “false allegations” in a statement posted to her social media platforms, including that the claims are “as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed”.

In February, an LA choose denied Lizzo’s request to have the lawsuit dismissed, regardless of dismissing sure accusations.

Listed here are all of the accusations Davis, Rodriguez, and Williams have made in opposition to the “Rumors” hitmaker:

What are the allegations in opposition to Lizzo?

The plaintiffs have accused Lizzo of assault, disability discrimination, and sexual harassment in the lawsuit seen by The Independent.

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They’ve questioned the way in which they have been terminated from Lizzo’s manufacturing firm Huge Grrrl Huge Touring Inc. Within the filed grievance, the dancers accused Lizzo of calling consideration to Davis’ weight acquire and later berating after which firing her “on the spot” after she recorded a gathering due to a well being situation.

When Rodriguez objected to Lizzo’s therapy of Davis, and resigned from the solid, Lizzo allegedly “aggressively approached” Rodriquez, who mentioned she thought the 35-year-old would have hit her if one of many different dancers hadn’t intervened.

The accusers have testified to the “sexually charged and uncomfortable setting” they have been allegedly pressured to endure whereas working with Lizzo and her dance captain and co-defendant Quigley.

It’s claimed Lizzo “started inviting solid members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and consuming bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas” throughout a go to to a strip membership in Amsterdam.

She allegedly pressured Davis “contact the breasts [of] one of many nude girls” by “main a chant goading” her.

“Lastly, the refrain grew to become overwhelming, and a mortified Ms Davis acquiesced in an try to carry an finish to the chants,” the 44-page lawsuit states.

Lizzo allegedly “badgered” a member of her safety workforce to get on stage the place “his pants have been pulled down”.

“Plaintiffs have been aghast with how little regard Lizzo confirmed for the bodily autonomy of her workers and people round her, particularly within the presence of many individuals whom she employed,” the lawsuit reads.

It’s alleged the dancers underwent a “brutal” re-audition after Lizzo grew to become satisfied the solid had been consuming earlier than exhibits, citing their poor performances.

Davis claims she dirty herself as a result of she was frightened of taking a washroom break throughout the 12-hour rehearsal. When she discovered an interval to alter into clear garments, the wardrobe division allegedly gave her a see-through garment.

“[She] was required to complete the rehearsal, dancing in entrance of male crew members who have been identified to sexualise the dancers underneath much less revealing eventualities, whereas sporting fully clear shorts and no undergarments,” based on the lawsuit.

Davis claims Lizzo and her choreographer made “thinly veiled” references to her weight acquire, which the singer had allegedly “beforehand referred to as consideration to after noticing it on the South by Southwest music competition”.

She mentioned she felt she wanted to elucidate her weight acquire with the intention to preserve her job, and was “harm and emotionally drained by being pressured” into disclosing she had been identified with binge consuming dysfunction.

Lizzo is alleged to have supplied her break day from rehearsals, however Davis declined as a result of she didn’t need to be seen as “too weak” to proceed performing with the crew.

‘Sensationalised tales’ from former workers

Information of the lawsuit shocked followers of Lizzo, a champion of the physique positivity motion and ladies’s rights.

Two days later, the singer mentioned the lawsuit was stuffed with “sensationalised tales coming from former workers who’ve already publicly admitted they have been advised their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional”.

She continued: “I take my music and my performances critically as a result of on the finish of the day I solely need to put out the most effective artwork that represents me and my followers.

“With ardour comes onerous work and excessive requirements,” Lizzo added. “Generally I’ve to make onerous choices but it surely’s by no means my intention to make anybody really feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an necessary a part of the workforce.”

The “Juice” singer burdened that she doesn’t need to be seen “as a sufferer”, however added: “I’m not the villain that folks and the media have portrayed me to be these previous few days.”

She denied fat-shaming any of her workers, and shared she felt “harm” by the claims in opposition to her, whereas expressing her gratitude for the assist she has obtained.

“I’m harm however I cannot let the nice work I’ve performed on the earth be overshadowed by this. I need to thank everybody who has reached out in assist to raise me up throughout this tough time,” she completed.

Who else is called within the lawsuit?

The opposite defendants embrace Shirlene Quigley, the captain of Lizzo’s dance workforce, and Huge Grrrl Huge Touring Inc.

Davis alleges that Quigley “usually preached at [her] about what [she] believed to be a shared Christian identification” and it was claimed that she had typically “pushed” her beliefs on members of the dance group and made them really feel “uncomfortable”.

The lawsuit claims Davis’s virginity grew to become a subject of “excessive significance” to Quigley throughout the filming of Watch Out for the Huge Grrrls. She allegedly “broadcast” this “intensely private element” about Davis “to the world” – together with throughout interviews – with out her permission.

Quigley allegedly made derisive feedback about individuals who engaged in pre-marital intercourse regardless of figuring out some members of the troupe “didn’t share her views”.

Davis, Williams, and Rodrigues additionally accuse Quigley of “sexually inappropriate behaviour” at work, together with allegedly simulating oral intercourse on a banana in entrance of the solid. They declare this “social gathering trick” left the plaintiffs feeling very uncomfortable.

In addition they declare Quigley made “sexually specific feedback”, together with sharing her sexual fantasies with the solid.

She has been accused of imposing her spiritual beliefs on Rodriguez, a “non-believer”. When Rodriguez requested Quigley to “chorus” from doing this, the dance captain allegedly grew to become “irate and yelled at her”.

The Unbiased has reached out to Quigley’s representatives for remark.

The claims in opposition to Huge Grrrl embrace allegations of racism in direction of the Black girls on the dance workforce, with members of the administration workforce accusing them “of being lazy, unprofessional, and having unhealthy attitudes”.

On 2 February 2024, Choose Mark H Epstein denied Lizzo’s request to have the whole case dismissed underneath California’s anti-SLAPP statute – a particular regulation that makes it simpler to shortly finish meritless lawsuits that threaten free speech.

Choose Epstein dismissed among the swimsuit’s allegations, together with a sexual harassment allegation involving a nude photoshoot on the set of Watch Out for the Huge Grrrls; a incapacity discrimination accusation round one dancer’s allegation that she was fired from Lizzo’s tour after disclosing her psychological well being points; and an allegation stating that Lizzo’s camp deliberately interfered with the dancers’ different job prospects.

Nevertheless, he has allowed the swimsuit to go forward.

“It’s harmful for the court docket to weigh in, ham-fisted, into constitutionally protected exercise,” the choose wrote in his choice. “However it’s equally harmful to show a blind eye to allegations of discrimination or different types of misconduct merely as a result of they happen in a speech-related setting.”

As a performer, Lizzo has been identified for selling physique positivity, women’s rights, LGBT+ rights, and anti-bullying. All through her profession, she has crafted a globally profitable model of physique positivity and self-love, backed up by a discography of empowerment anthems.