Lizzo is finally speaking out against the bombshell sexual harassment lawsuits that were lobbed against her back in 2023 by a few of her former dancersβand sheβs not holding back.
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Speaking in a new interview released on Thursday for Keke Palmerβs βBaby, This Is Keke Palmerβ podcast, the βRumorsβ singer shared how she felt completely βblindsidedβ by the suits given the fact that the βBig Grrrrlβ dancers were people she respected and appreciated. She also questioned their motives and chalked it up to social media influence.
βI was literally living in my dream, and then the tour ended, and three ex-dancers just completely, like, blindsided me with a lawsuit,β she said in part before later adding: βI was very deeply hurt because these were three ex-dancers, so they werenβt on the tour. They didnβt finish the tour out with us. But even regardless of that, these were people that I gave opportunities to.β
She continued:
These were people that β I liked them and appreciated them as dancers, respected them as dancers. So I was like, what? But then I heard all the other things like sexual harassment, and I was like, theyβre trying well, I donβt know what theyβre trying to do, but these are the types of things that the media can turn into something that itβs not.
Despite being confused and hurt by the allegations, Lizzo was sure to maintain her innocence against the claims by telling Palmer that she did βnothing wrong.β
As previously reported by The Root, in August 2023 three of her former tour dancers β Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez β filed a lawsuit against Lizzo and her company Big Grrrl Big Touring. The trio alleged sexual misconduct and hostile workplace conditionsβ claiming the singer physically threatened, weight-shamed, and sexually harassed them. One month later, Asha Daniels, a former stylist for Lizzoβs touring company also filed a lawsuit alleging racial and sexual harassment by members of Lizzoβs management team, a hostile work environment and unpaid over time.
However, as of Dec. 2024, a California judge saw fit to partially dismiss a handful of Danielsβ claims citing the fact that she βfailed to show real evidence to support her suitβ and the fact that the stylist worked for Lizzo while they were on tour in Europe, where US labor laws do not apply.
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