Lizzo denies dancers’ allegations, saying she’s ‘not the villain’

Grammy-winning singer Lizzo is rejecting claims in a lawsuit that she sexually harassed former backup dancers and created a hostile work environment, saying Thursday that she was “not the villain” that people have portrayed her to be amid a wave of backlash.

In a statement posted to her Twitter account, Lizzo said the days since three dancers filed their complaint alleging that they were exposed to a "sexually charged and uncomfortable" work environment and shamed about their weight have been "gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing."

The complaint, which was filed Tuesday in a Los Angeles court, alleges that the harassment from Lizzo was "so severe or pervasive" that it made the employment conditions for Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez "intolerable." The lawsuit also includes an allegation from Davis that Lizzo pressured her into touching a nude performer's breasts while at a night club in Amsterdam.

"My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized," Lizzo said. "Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed."

The lawsuit claims the dancers were victims of a litany of improper behavior, including sexual, racial and religious harassment, assault, false imprisonment and disability discrimination. The complaint names Lizzo (born Melissa Viviane Jefferson); her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring; and Shirlene Quigley, Lizzo's dance team captain, as defendants. Not all of the allegations pertain to each of them.

Lizzo, 35, said the "sensationalized stories" were brought forth by dancers who she described as "former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional." She also acknowledged that her passion for her music means "hard work and high standards" for those who work for her.

"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," she said in her Thursday statement. "I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days."

The dancers say that Lizzo paid undue attention to the weight gain of one of the plaintiffs, according to the lawsuit. The singer allegedly repeatedly yelled and cursed at performers, and invited them to attend events as spectators without disclosing that there would be nudity. The filing alleges that Williams was fired in public by an agent of Lizzo about a week after a workplace confrontation with the singer. Davis was allegedly terminated for recording a meeting with Lizzo so that she could review it for feedback about a performance. That incident prompted Rodriguez to resign, according to the suit.

The three plaintiffs, who were associated with Lizzo from roughly spring 2021 to early summer 2023, are seeking unspecified damages for unpaid wages and loss of earnings and compensation for emotional distress, according to the lawsuit.

Ron Zambrano, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement to The Washington Post that Lizzo's denial of the allegations points to how she "has failed her own brand and has let down her fans."

"The dismissive comments and utter lack of empathy are quite telling about her character and only serve to minimize the trauma she has caused the plaintiffs and other employees who have now come forward sharing their own negative experiences," Zambrano said. "While Lizzo notes it was never her intention 'to make anyone feel uncomfortable,' that is exactly what she did to the point of demoralizing her dancers and flagrantly violating the law."

Lizzo has been a mainstay in pop culture since her breakout 2019 album, "Cuz I Love You," elevated her to the mainstream after years as a successful underground singer. Songs like "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" have topped the charts, and the singer has won four Grammys, including winning Record of the Year in 2023. Lizzo, who has built a brand rooted in self-love and the body positivity movement, has also been outspoken about social issues such as abortion rights, discrimination against transgender people and racism in the music industry.

But the allegations against Lizzo by her former backup dancers has led to online backlash against the singer this week. The criticisms made by the dancers were echoed by filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison, who claims to have been previously hired to direct a documentary on the singer. Allison wrote on Instagram how she was allegedly "treated with such disrespect by her," and that the filmmaker "witnessed how arrogant, self-centered and unkind she is."

Some fans noticed that Beyoncé omitted her usual shout out to Lizzo in "Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)" during a performance this week. Tina Knowles-Lawson, Beyoncé's mother, denied on Instagram that the omission was related to the lawsuit.

Lizzo said that while she is very open about her sexuality and expressing herself, she "cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not."

"There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world," she said Thursday. "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."

Despite the blowback in recent days, Lizzo thanked fans who stood by her "to lift me up during this difficult time."

“I’m hurt,” she said, “but I will not let the good work I’ve done in this world be overshadowed by this.”