The lawyer representing the three dancers who’re suing Lizzo for sexual harassment and making a hostile work atmosphere has claimed his agency are reviewing at the very least six new complaints concerning the singer.
The complaints come from others who’ve toured with Lizzo or labored on her actuality present, Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Large Grrrls. Employment lawyer Ron Zambrano advised NBC Information the brand new allegations element a “sexually charged environment” and failure to pay staff.
“Some of the claims we are reviewing may be actionable, but it is too soon to say,” Zambrano advised the outlet.
Zambrano additionally claimed that Lizzo as soon as referred to as out a dancer’s weight at South By Southwest throughout a post-show assembly and advised them it was “normal” for dancers to be “fired when they get fat”.
The unique lawsuit was filed by Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, who all labored for Lizzo until earlier this 12 months, when Davis and Williams had been fired and Rodriguez resigned. Lizzo’s manufacturing firm Large Grrrl Large Touring Inc. and her dance group captain Shirlene Quigley had been additionally named as defendants.
The alleged incident of sexual harassment talked about within the swimsuit supposedly passed off in a strip membership in Amsterdam, which they visited after a present earlier this 12 months. The dancers declare Lizzo allegedly bullied Davis into touching a nude performer, to the purpose the place she led a chant goading her into doing so till she finally gave in, regardless of declining a number of instances.
The swimsuit states that Lizzo “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas,” persevering with: “Lizzo then turned her attention to Ms. Davis and began pressuring Ms. Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women.”
The swimsuit additionally alleges that Lizzo subjected the group to an “excruciating” audition, following 12 hours of rehearsal, after falsely accusing them of consuming on the job.
Additionally they claimed that, in contradiction to the singer’s physique constructive ethos that she promotes in her music, she referred to as consideration to Davis’ weight acquire by telling her she was “less committed” to her function and later berating and firing the dancer for recording a gathering due to a well being situation.
In the meantime, it accuses Quigley of proselytising to different performers and deriding those that had premarital intercourse whereas additionally discussing her sexual fantasies, simulating oral intercourse and publicly discussing the virginity of one of many plaintiffs.
Williams and Rodriguez later alleged in an interview with Sky Information that they tried to “settle” the disagreement “in-house” earlier than submitting a lawsuit, however declare they had been met with a “rebuttal” from Lizzo’s group.
Lizzo performs dwell. CREDIT: Joseph Okpako/Getty Photos
Lizzo’s lawyer Marty Singer referred to as the lawsuit “specious”, whereas in her personal assertion, Lizzo stated she was “hurt” and denied the allegations.
“These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” she stated.
She added: “As an artist I’ve at all times been very captivated with what I do. I take my music and my performances severely as a result of on the finish of the day I solely wish to put out the perfect artwork that represents me and my followers.
“With ardour comes exhausting work and excessive requirements. Generally I’ve to make exhausting selections nevertheless it’s by no means my intention to make anybody really feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an essential a part of the group.
“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. 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.”
The three dancers then responded to her assertion, saying it was “disheartening” to learn. “Initially for me it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated,” Williams advised Channel 4 in an interview.
NME has approached Lizzo’s representatives for remark.
