Lizzo makes first statement since being hit with hostile workplace lawsuit
Lizzo calls allegations against her "as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed"
Lizzo is “not the villain that people and the media have portrayed [her] to be these last few days.” So says Lizzo herself, in the singer’s first statement since news broke that three of her former dancers had filed a lawsuit against her. Since then, a handful of other former associates have come forward to substantiate claims that Lizzo fostered a toxic work environment on her tour, while the lawsuit details additional allegations ranging from sexual harassment to weight shaming.
“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 the statement shared to social media. “Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed.”
The artist claimed that the “sensationalized stories” came from ex-employees who had admitted to “inappropriate and unprofessional” behavior while touring with Lizzo. She went on to seemingly address the allegation that she put her dancers through a grueling second audition (after they’d already been working on the tour), during which one dancer was so anxious about keeping her job that she ended up soiling herself rather than use the bathroom. “With passion comes hard work and high standards,” Lizzo wrote. “Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
Lizzo didn’t say much regarding the sexual harassment claim (a dancer has accused her of pressuring her to touch a nude woman’s breasts at a strip club after party), but said she wouldn’t allow others to twist her openness about her sexuality “to make me out to be something I am not.” Regarding the allegations of weight shaming, she said, “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.”
Lizzo may get the chance to prove how “outrageous” these allegations are in a court of law, but it may be too late to salvage her reputation in the court of public opinion. Much of that is due to the additional testimonies that have emerged in the wake of the suit. Filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison, who claimed she walked away from the chance to direct Lizzo’s documentary after being treated with disrespect, called the Grammy winner a “narcissistic bully” in a follow-up post.
“Since I’ve spoken out, I’ve had others privately share their very similar experiences, and I have also been affirmed by people who witnessed what I went through,” Allison posted on social media. “Lizzo creates an extremely toxic and hostile working environment and undermines the work, labor, and authority of other black and brown womxn in the process.”
Lizzo, meanwhile, is steadfast in denying the allegations. “I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this,” she concluded her own statement. “I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this time.”