Dancers suing Lizzo call singer’s ‘I quit’ post ‘a joke’
The three backup dancers suing Lizzo for alleged sexual harassment and fostering a hostile work environment have hit back at the singer’s dramatic resignation post.
In an impassioned statement shared on her Instagram last week, the singer said she was tired of being the subject of “lies” and announced: “I QUIT.”
“I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she wrote.
On Monday (1 April), the dancers’ lawyer Ron Zambrano hit back at Lizzo’s announcement.
“It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself,” he said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“Her latest post is just another outburst seeking attention and trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in. Lizzo’s legal and public relations strategy is a failure, so she is desperately trying to play the victim.”
Adding that Lizzo has “thrown these childish tantrums before,” Zambrano said: “No one actually believes she is quitting music.”
Lizzo’s representatives did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.
Dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez accused Lizzo and her production company of assault, racial and religious harassment, fat-shaming, disability discrimination, and false imprisonment in their lawsuit filed last year.
Lizzo denied the claims, branding them “false” and “sensationalised”. “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,” she said.
A month later, fashion designer Asha Daniels also filed a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing Lizzo of allowing bullying, harassment and racial discrimination to take place behind the scenes of her tour.
A spokesman for Lizzo called the lawsuit “a bogus, absurd publicity stunt” and alleged Daniels had “never actually met or even spoke with Lizzo”.
In December, Lizzo’s lawyers filed to have Daniels’s lawsuit dismissed, arguing that it is “defective” because the allegations have no connection to California, where it was filed. According to the filing, Daniels lives in New York and worked with Lizzo on tour in Europe.
A lawyer for Daniels said Lizzo’s team was trying “to shift blame to the victims… Lizzo and her lawyers can continue trying to rationalise her illegal and wretched conduct but we remain committed to seeking justice for our clients, and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behaviour in a public forum.”
The allegations fly in the face of Lizzo’s public persona. As a performer, she is known for promoting body positivity, women’s rights, LGBT+ rights, and anti-bullying. Throughout her career, she has crafted a globally successful brand of body positivity and self-love, backed up by a discography of empowerment anthems.
