Lizzo Sued by Former Dancers for Sexual Harassment, Also Accused of Weight-Shaming, Among Others

Grammy-winning artist Lizzo, whose legal name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, along with her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. (BGBT), and Shirlene Quigley, captain of Lizzo's dance team, are facing a lawsuit filed by three of her former dancers, according to ABC News.

The complaint was filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging serious allegations against Lizzo and her team.

The dancers-Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez-have accused Lizzo and her company of engaging in "sexual, religious, and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment," according to the press release issued by the plaintiffs' attorney, Ron Zambrano.

Former Dancer's Complaint Against Lizzo and Shirlene Quigley

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. AP reports.

"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 accused of calling out Davis for her weight gain after accusing the dancer of not being committed to her role.

Meanwhile, 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."

The Plaintiffs

Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams joined Lizzo's team after participating in the dance competition show "Watch Out for the Big Grrrls," hosted by Lizzo for Amazon, in 2021.

Williams claims that during a meeting in April, she spoke up after Lizzo accused dancers of drinking before performances, leading to a tense exchange between them.

The next day, Lizzo informed the dancers that they would have to audition again, which led to an "excruciating" 12-hour rehearsal, per The Guardian.

During this rehearsal, Davis alleges that she was too afraid of losing her job to use the bathroom, resulting in an unfortunate incident.

Williams was fired five days later, with Lizzo's team citing budget cuts as the reason for the decision. On the other hand, Davis claims that in April 2023, Lizzo questioned her "commitment," which she believed was a veiled critique of her weight.

Subsequently, Davis says she was fired on the spot the following month after the singer discovered she had recorded performance notes.

Davis attributes her eye condition, which caused disorientation in stressful situations, as the reason for recording the notes.

The third plaintiff, Noelle Rodriguez, quit her role due to the treatment she received from her fellow dancers and Quigley.

Concerns brought to the management regarding these issues were reportedly ignored.

Rodriguez claims that when she raised concerns about the firings of Williams and Davis, she was dismissed with the explanation that there had been no problems with her.

The lawsuit further asserts that Rodriguez, as one of the few non-black members of the dance cast, was not subjected to the same generalized and unfounded criticisms as the black members.

The lawsuit seeks damages covering emotional distress, lost wages, and attorneys' fees, although a specific dollar amount has not been specified.

This is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Three former dancers accuse Lizzo of weight-shaming, sexual harassment - From NBC News