Lizzo has released a statement after she was levied with accusations of sexual harassment and racial, religious, and weight discrimination. In a message posted to Twitter, Lizzo states the accusations and the days following have been “gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing.”
In the statement, Lizzo says her work ethic and morals have been questioned, in addition to her character and respectfulness. “Usually I chose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed,” Lizzo wrote.
She added, “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.”
Lizzo gave a reason for her message, “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 full statement is available below.
Lizzo is the subject of a new lawsuit from three of her tour dancers who state they worked in a hostile work environment. The dancers also claimed they were also subjected to sexual harassment, which included being pressured to touch naked dancers at a sex show in Europe.
In a lawsuit detailed by NBC News, dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez levy Lizzo and her company Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc with racial, religious, and weight discrimination allegations.
Inside the lawsuit, Lizzo is claimed to host after-parties for her shows. Dancers attended the shows as they often would provide more favor and job security. At one post-event sex show in Amsterdam, Lizzo pressured dancers to engage with the formers.
“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,” the accusations state. “Lizzo then turned her attention to Ms. Davis and began pressuring Ms. Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women performing at the club.”
Lizzo also is accused of pushing her religious beliefs on dancers while also teasing them about their virginity and sexual choices and also simulating oral sex on a banana in front of the dancers. Additionally, Lizzo questioned a dancer’s weight after a South by Southwest performance, citing they may not take their career as seriously as other dancers.
Speaking with Billboard, the dancers’ attorney, Ron Zambrano, commented the weight shaming went “against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers.”
One of the dancers, Davis, privately recorded a meeting leading to threats from Lizzo and being “aggressively approached” with balled fists.
You can read more here.
The post Lizzo Blasts ‘Sensationalized Stories’ From Former Employees in Statement Released on Twitter first appeared on The Source.
The post Lizzo Blasts ‘Sensationalized Stories’ From Former Employees in Statement Released on Twitter appeared first on The Source.