August 02, (THEWILL) – American singer, Melissa Jefferson, also known as Lizzo, has been sued by three of her former dancers, who accused her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
The civil lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
They alleged that Lizzo pressured them to engage with nude performers at a club in Amsterdam and shamed one of them for her weight gain before firing her.
The lawsuit also claimed that the dancers had been exposed to an overtly sexual atmosphere that permeated their workplace, which included outings where nudity and sexuality were focal points.
The dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, also alleged they were harassed by the rapper sexually, racially and religiously in several incidents between 2021 and 2023.
They claimed that at a club where attendees can interact with the nude performers, Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns to touch the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.
Lizzo was alleged to have instructed the security guard to get on the club’s stage until he submitted to her demands.
When he got on the stage, his pants were pulled down, exposing his buttocks. Lizzo then began yelling, ‘Take it off!’ while a club performer hit the security guard with whips.
The defendants include Lizzo, her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. and Shirlene Quigley, the tour’s dance captain.
Ron Zambrano, counsel to the dancers, in a statement, said all Lizzo did to the dancers was against her principles.
“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”.
About the Author
