Lizzo has been sued by three former dancers for sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, NBC News reports. The lawsuit, viewed by Pitchfork, was filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court and also named Lizzo’s Big Grrrl Big Touring production company and dance captain Shirlene Quigley. The dancers are suing for damages over emotional distress including unpaid wages, loss of earnings, and attorney’s fees. Pitchfork has reached out to Lizzo’s representatives and Quigley for comment.
The three dancers behind the lawsuit all began working with Lizzo in 2021. Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams were hired around the Amazon reality series Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. A third, Noelle Rodriguez, was hired after appearing in the 2021 “Rumors” video.
The lawsuit also described an incident that took place at a post-show afterparty in Amsterdam earlier this year where Lizzo allegedly pressured Davis to touch the breasts of a nude performer with goading chants. The lawsuit also claims Lizzo encouraged dancers to “catch dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas and eat bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.”
“Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed,” the lawsuit states. The dancers also claimed she invited them to a Paris cabaret bar for “inspiration” without disclosing that the performers would be nude.
Davis also sued the production company and Lizzo for disability discrimination. The dancer claimed that Lizzo called attention to the dancer’s weight in a “thinly veiled” comment about her seeming “less committed” to her work following a SXSW performance. Davis claimed Lizzo was “relentless” in asking her to disclose which “personal issues” she was dealing with, and therefore, Davis disclosed that she was struggling with anxiety, depression, and had been diagnosed with binge eating disorder. The lawsuit states: