WASHINGTON — Singer Lizzo has responded on social media to allegations made by former backup dancers that she fostered a hostile work environment, sexually harassed them and fat-shamed the dancers while on tour.
The allegations were made in a lawsuit filed by Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, three former backup dancers who are suing the entertainer, her dance captain and her touring company over an alleged culture of inappropriate actions.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles, and Lizzo released a statement on Instagram and Twitter Thursday categorically denying the claims made by the three dancers.
You can read her full statement below:
"These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals, and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually, I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.
"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.
"As an artist, I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day, I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans. With passion comes hard work and high standards. 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.
"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. There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. 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.
"I'm hurt but I will not let the good work I've done in the world be overshadowed by this. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time."
In a live CNN interview responding to the singer's statement, the three plaintiffs in the lawsuit said it didn't change the facts they laid out.
“I want to say that reading (Lizzo’s statement) just kind of further my furthered my disappointment in regards to the situation, just because the facts are the facts," Crystal Williams, one of the three dancers, told CNN This Morning. "What we experienced and what we witnessed is absolutely what happened. There’s nothing sensationalized about it. So all that I can hope is that people focus more so on the facts rather than the court of public opinion.”
Ariana Davis, another of the dancers suing Lizzo, said she only realized the situation wasn't normal after she had left. Davis was fired in May for recording a meeting during which Lizzo had given out notes to dancers about their performances, according to the complaint.
"This was my first professional job," she said. "I was told by the dance captain 'it's this thing in the dance industry that you have to shut up and take whatever you get and just be grateful for whatever crumbs you get as a dancer.'"
In the legal complaint filed earlier this week, the dancers outlined numerous allegations, including sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment. Davis and Williams were contestants on Prime Video's reality show featuring women competing to join Lizzo's dance team.
The dancers said the verbal and emotional abuse they endured pushed them to go to court.
The legal complaint seeks unspecified damages and names Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and Shirlene Quigley, captain of the performer’s dance team.
The court filing claims that after performing a concert in Amsterdam, Lizzo and her crew attended a sexually themed show at a club in the city's notorious Red Light District where “Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers.” During the show, Lizzo led a chant pressuring Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women performing at the club, the filing states.
“Finally, the chorus became overwhelming, and a mortified Ms. Davis acquiesced in an attempt to bring an end to the chants,” the complaint states. “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.”
Lizzo, who routinely champions body positivity, is also accused of calling out Davis for her weight gain after accusing the dancer of not being committed to her role.
"(She said) dancers get fired for gaining weight so basically we should be grateful and she kind of looked at me," Davis said. "It definitely left me thinking that she’s got some concerns about my weight."
Quigley, who served as a judge on the singer's reality show “Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” is accused in the lawsuit of pushing her Christian beliefs onto dancers. The court filing claims Quigley referred to Davis as a “non-believer" and told co-workers that “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord.”
In addition, after discovering that Davis was a virgin, Quigley frequently discussed the subject, brought it up in interviews and even posted about it on social media, “broadcasting an intensely personal detail about Ms. Davis to the world," according to the lawsuit.
Earlier this year, Lizzo won the Grammy for record of the year for her hit “About Damn Time." A global tour supporting her fourth studio album, 2022's “Special,” wrapped up last month.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.