Three former dancers of singer Lizzo have filed a lawsuit Tuesday, accusing her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, NBC News reported.
The dancers also allege Lizzo pressured one of them to touch a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam and subjected them to an "excruciating" audition after making accusations of drinking on the job.
Lizzo, known for promoting body positivity and embracing her physique, is further accused of drawing attention to one dancer's weight gain and subsequently berating and firing her after she recorded a meeting due to a health condition.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, also implicates Lizzo's dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, who allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior toward other performers, including discussing explicit sexual fantasies, simulating oral sex, and making derogatory comments about those who had premarital sex and the virginity of one of the plaintiffs.
While it remains unclear if Lizzo was aware of the allegations against Quigley, the plaintiffs' lawyer, Ron Zambrano, claims they believed the singer knew about their complaints.
The lawsuit names Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, her production company, and Quigley as defendants. The allegations range from hostile work environment and sexual harassment to religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment, and interference with prospective economic advantage, among others.
"The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing," Zambrano said in a statement.
One of the incidents cited in the lawsuit involves Lizzo and her choreographer expressing concerns about a dancer's commitment to her role after an appearance at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival, which the lawsuit suggests was a thinly veiled reference to the dancer's weight.
Representatives for Lizzo had not responded to NBC News' requests for comment, and Quigley had not provided a comment either. Further, NBC News' attempts to contact Lizzo's production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., have been unsuccessful.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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