Grammy winner Lizzo broke her silence on the lawsuit filed against her Tuesday by three former back-up dancers.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Lizzo, 35, described the past few days as "wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing."
"My work ethic, morals, and respectfulness have been questioned," Lizzo wrote. "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."
Allegations surfaced this week from three of Lizzo's former dancers, who have accused the pop star and her team of interrogating them about their body weight and coercing them into participating in sexually explicit acts during performances.
Two of the dancers, who also were featured on Lizzo's reality show, further claimed that they experienced a hostile work environment, including instances of sexual harassment, and were pressured to interact with nude performers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The dancers sued Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and Shirlene Quigley, captain of the singer's dance team.
"I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days," Lizzo continued in her statement. "There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world."
Lizzo added that the "sensationalized stories" were based on allegations by former employees "who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional."
"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 said.
In her statement, she further noted that she is "very open" about her sexuality but "cannot accept or allow people to use that openness" to make her out to be something she is not.
"There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world," she said.
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 said. "I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time."
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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