Lizzo sued by former dancers, accused of creating hostile work environment
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One of the plaintiffs claimed she feared losing her job if she did not comply with Lizzo’s (above) requests.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – Three former dancers for Grammy-winning singer Lizzo accused her of creating a hostile work environment, including weight shaming and sexually denigrating behaviour, in a lawsuit released on Tuesday.
The lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court named Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc and the captain of her dance team, Ms Shirlene Quigley, court documents showed.
A representative for Lizzo did not respond to a request for comment.
The complaints filed by plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez include harassment based on gender, religion, race and disability.
In the lawsuit, the dancers claimed they were coerced into touching nude performers at an Amsterdam strip club in late February.
The suit also stated that Ms Davis was pressured to participate in a nude photo shoot to stay in a dance competition despite her discomfort. She claimed she feared losing her job if she did not comply with Lizzo’s requests.
“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 also absolutely demoralising,” the plaintiffs’ attorney, Mr Ron Zambrano, said in a statement.
The lawsuit alleged that Ms Quigley harassed the dancers by subjecting them to her religious beliefs against their will.
“Ms Quigley was not only vocal about her religious belief, but also took every opportunity to proselytise to any and all in her presence regardless of protestations,” the lawsuit stated.
The plaintiffs’ claimed that Ms Quigley forced the topic of Ms Davis’ virginity into conversations and interviews and on social media, where she publicly revealed personal details about the latter without her consent.
Ms Davis and Ms Williams were eventually fired, while Ms Rodriguez resigned over the behaviour, the lawsuit said. REUTERS
