Lizzo and her manufacturing firm are going through authorized motion after three former dancers accused them of sexual harassment and making a hostile work atmosphere.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket in opposition to Lizzo (actual title Melissa Viviane Jefferson) and her manufacturing firm, Huge Grrrl Huge Touring, INC (BGBT), in addition to Shirlene Quigly, the captain of Lizzo’s dance staff.
The dancers, plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, allege sexual, spiritual, and racial harassment, incapacity discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment, amongst different fees.
The lawsuit particulars a number of alleged occasions, together with an incident in Amsterdam’s Pink Mild District.
Former Lizzo dancers allege incident in Amsterdam’s Pink Mild District
Based on the go well with, the dancers declare they have been pressured to the touch nude dancers throughout a stay intercourse present in Amsterdam’s Pink Mild District, and in the event that they didn’t, they have been afraid they’d lose their jobs.
Amsterdam’s Pink Mild District is thought for its intercourse work, intercourse theaters, nude bars, and golf equipment.
The main points within the lawsuit are sexually express and could also be uncomfortable for sure audiences to learn.
“The main event of the night was a club called Bananenbar, where patrons are allowed to interact with completely nude performers,” the lawsuit states.
“Whereas at Bananenbar, issues shortly acquired out of hand. 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.
“Lizzo then turned her consideration to Ms. Davis and started pressuring Ms. Davis to the touch the breasts of one of many nude girls performing on the membership.
“Lizzo began leading a chant goading Ms. Davis. Ms. Davis said three times, loud enough for all to hear, ‘I’m good,’ expressing her desire not to touch the performer.”
The grievance continues, “Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed.”
At the moment, neither Lizzo nor her manufacturing staff has responded to the allegations.
The dancers have been allegedly invited out as soon as extra with out being advised they have been going to a nude cabaret bar, “robbing them of the choice not to participate.”
Lizzo and her staff are accused of shaming dancer after gaining weight
One other declare alleges that one dancer was referred to as out for gaining weight and never being dedicated to her function as a dancer.
Lizzo is named an icon within the physique positivity motion and has her personal clothes line that caters to plus sizes.
“In professional dance, a dancer’s weight gain is often seen as that dancer getting lazy or worse off as a performer. Lizzo’s and Ms. Scott’s questions about Ms. Davis’s commitment to the tour were thinly veiled concerns about Ms. Davis’s weight gain, which Lizzo had previously called attention to after noticing it at the South by Southwest music festival,” the lawsuit states.
“Although Lizzo and Ms. Scott never explicitly stated it, these questions accompanied by Lizzo’s statements made after the South by Southwest music festival gave Ms. Davis the impression that she needed to explain her weight gain and disclose intimate personal details about her life in order to keep her job.”
Davis was reportedly fired for recording a gathering the place Lizzo gave out notes to dancers about their performances.
In the meantime, Williams was mentioned to have been publicly fired as a consequence of finances cuts however claims that nobody else was fired that day. Williams says that earlier than she was fired, she spoke up throughout a gathering the place the dancers have been accused of consuming earlier than performances.
Being publicly fired was alleged to be a frequent intimidation tactic used in opposition to the dancers. Rodriguez is claimed to have resigned because of the firings, however not earlier than complaining to the supervisor in regards to the choice to fireplace Williams publicly.
Lizzo’s dance captain accused of pushing her spiritual beliefs onto dancers
The go well with additionally alleges that dance captain Shirlene Quigly pushed her Christian beliefs onto the dancers.
Based on the claims, after she discovered that Davis was a virgin that data was introduced up in interviews and posted on social media.
It’s additionally alleged that Quigley referred to as Davis a “non-believer” and is quoted to have mentioned, “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord.”
