Lizzo Responds to Sexual Harassment and Weight-Shaming Allegations: ‘As Unbelievable as They Sound’
Lizzo has issued a response to the allegations made against her and her production company by three of her former dancers. Lizzo’s camp — this includes her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. (BGBT) and Shirlene Quigley, captain of Lizzo’s dance team — were accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment by the team’s former dancers in a legal complaint filed on Aug. 1.
“These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized,” Lizzo wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram. “Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed. These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”
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She continued, “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 been my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
Lizzo ended her statement by saying that though she does not want to be perceived as a victim in the situation, she is “not the villain.”
“I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days. 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,” she wrote. “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 criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight. 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.”
The dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — have alleged sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment, among a slew of other charges against Lizzo, the production company and Quigley. Both Davis and Williams were fired and Rodriguez resigned.
All three plaintiffs and their attorney Ron Zambrano appeared on “CNN This Morning” with anchor Phil Mattingly just a few moments after Lizzo’s statement went live on Thursday morning.
Davis refuted Lizzo’s claims that allegations were “sensationalized” and said her statement was “disheartening” to read. “She was there. And to fix your hand to write on a piece of paper that you don’t believe — that you discredit everything we’re saying is incredibly frustrating,” she said.
Allegations against Lizzo made by Davis include such coercive tactics as being pressured to touch nude dancers during a live sex show in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, and “robbing [dancers] of the choice not to participate” in outings to nude cabaret bars, according to the plaintiff’s recount of events. Davis additionally stated she felt fat-shamed after Lizzo and choreographer Tanisha Scott called attention to her weight gain which they perceived as her not being committed enough to her role as a dancer on tour.
Davis also accuses Quigley, the dance captain who also doubled as a judge on Lizzo’s Amazon reality show, “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” in 2021, of pushing her Christian beliefs onto dancers. According to the suit, after discovering that Davis was a virgin, Quigley routinely discussed the subject, brought it up in interviews, and even posted about it on social media (“broadcasting an intensely personal detail about Ms. Davis to the world”). Quigley allegedly referred to Davis as a “non-believer,” according to the suit, and was quoted saying: “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord.”
Quigley has not responded to Variety‘s request for comment.
Davis told CNN: “Was I pressured to touch a nude performer? Yes. Was I brought into a private meeting where I was kind of interrogated about my personal matters and ended up having to share very personal, personal things about myself regarding my weight? Yes. What — I mean, the list goes on. Were we pressured to do an excruciatingly long rehearsal that turned into a reaudition for the job that we already booked because, apparently, we weren’t doing good enough? Yes, that is true.”
In the suit, Davis recalled the reaudition process and said she felt so terrified that she would lose her job if she left the stage to go to the bathroom that she had an accident on stage. Rodriguez recounts a separate instance where Lizzo intended to physically assault her and doubled down on her statements in the CNN interview: “The facts of that were that she actually balled up her fist like this to me [Rodriguez demonstrates]. She started cracking her knuckles. And she was like, ‘You’re so fucking lucky that basically, I’m not going to hit you,” she said.
Elsewhere, plaintiffs allege mistreatment from BGBT toward the dancers. “BGBT’s management team consisted entirely of white Europeans who often accused the Black members of the dance team of being lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes,” the complaint reads.
Zambrano said he “one hundred percent” believes more people with claims against Lizzo and her production company will step forward in the coming days. He pointed to the handful of people in Lizzo’s circle who have already come out to support the former dancers on social media. This includes Oscar nominee Sophia Nahli Allison, who revealed on her social media pages that she exited her role as the director of a Lizzo documentary in 2019 after only two weeks because she “was treated with such disrespect” by Lizzo.
“I usually do not comment on anything pop culture related,” Allison wrote in her post. “But, in 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about two weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her. I witnessed how arrogant and unkind she is. I was not protected and was thrown into a shitty situation with little support. My spirit said to run as fast as you fucking can and I’m so grateful I trusted by gut. I felt gaslit and was deeply hurt but I’ve healed.”
“People have already come on social media to support our clients,” Zambrano told CNN. “People have already reached out to my office through social media… I believe more people will come forward. If not here, where we are in Los Angeles, but in New York. And we’ve – we’ve received other calls and inquiries from around the nation.”
"It's this thing in the dance industry that you have to shut up and take whatever you get and just be grateful for whatever crumbs you get as a dancer."
Lizzo has denied the "false accusations" made in a lawsuit brought by three of her former dancers. We get their reaction: pic.twitter.com/z7P3LO9Yb4— CNN This Morning (@CNNThisMorning) August 3, 2023
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