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the bombshell lawsuit that three of her former backup dancers filed against her Tuesday.
“These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing,” the Grammy winner, 35, said in a statement posted to social media Thursday morning.
“My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”
Lizzo said the “sensationalized” claims came from former employees who “already publicly admitted” that their behavior while touring with her had been “inappropriate and unprofessional.”
She explained that with her “passion” comes “hard work and high standards,” admitting that she has to “make hard decisions.”
“It’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
The “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” performer said in her statement that she was not trying to appear as a “victim” but implored her fans and followers to know that she is not “the villain” that she has been portrayed as in recent 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.”
Lizzo added that she knows 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 am hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this,” she concluded. “I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time.”
Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez came together Tuesday to accuse Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Jefferson, of creating a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and disability discrimination, among other claims.
In February, the “Good as Hell” singer allegedly invited her dancers to a night of debauchery at Amsterdam’s red-light district, known for its sex theaters, sex shops, clubs and bar, per the suit obtained by Page Six.
While at Bananenbar, a club known for adult entertainment, Lizzo allegedly encouraged her dancers to “take turns touching nude performers, [catch] dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas and [eat] bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.”
She then allegedly pressured Davis, one of the plaintiffs, to touch a performer’s nude breasts even though Davis had already expressed three times that she did not want to do so.
The pro dancer claimed she eventually touched the performer’s chest “briefly” after Lizzo led an “overwhelming” chorus of chants for her to participate, per the suit.
The following month, the “Truth Hurts” singer invited her dancers out again during a tour stop in Paris but allegedly failed to mention that the venue they were going to was a nude cabaret bar.
“Not until the curtain opened and nude women began to dance on the stage did plaintiffs know what they were in store for,” the lawsuit stated, noting that dancers felt “pressure” to go on these outings out of fear that they may lose their jobs or be ostracized if they did not go.
In April, Lizzo had the dancers re-audition for almost 12 grueling hours after she allegedly accused them of “unprofessionalism” and suspected that some of them had been drinking alcohol before shows.
The dancers were allegedly “not allowed a break” during the re-audition, which the lawsuit described as “brutal.”
David claimed she soiled her pants onstage at one point because she was fearful of getting fired if she excused herself from the re-audition.
At another time, Lizzo allegedly called out Davis’ weight gain even though the dancer had disclosed prior to her hiring that she battles binge eating, depression and anxiety. The dancer was ultimately fired after it was discovered that she had secretly recorded a team meeting.
Per the suit, Rodriguez quit thereafter in solidarity with Davis because she felt her friend had been “disrespected” during the firing.
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Lizzo allegedly began “cracking her knuckles, balling her fists and exclaiming, ‘You’re lucky. You’re so f–king lucky,’” as if implying that she wanted to hit Rodriguez.
The “Rumors” singer allegedly also stuck her middle fingers up and shouted, “Bye, bitch!,” per the suit.
Aside from Lizzo, the singer’s production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and dance captain Shirlene Quigley are also named as defendants in the suit. The latter is accused of speaking inappropriately about her sexual fantasies in front of dancers while also proselytizing.
Since the allegations have become public, Lizzo has faced a ton of backlash online.
Her former creative director backed the dancers’ claims, a documentary director called the flautist “arrogant, self-centered and unkind” and Beyoncé omitted Lizzo’s name from “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)” during a tour stop in Massachusetts.
