Lizzo has released a statement denying the allegations made against her made by three former dancers.
Earlier this week, a trio of dancers who worked on Lizzo’s Special Tour sued the singer over allegations of sexual harassment, fat-shaming and creating a hostile working environment.
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Lizzo fired back on Thursday morning (August 3), saying that the stories making the rounds from her ex-dancers are “sensationalized” and have “hurt” her.
“Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.
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“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 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.”
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She continued: “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.”
Her response can be seen in full below:
Lizzo is reportedly being represented by powerful Hollywood lawyer Marty Singer in the case, who has repped high-profile figures like Chris Brown and Bill Cosby, among others, in the past.
In their suit, the former dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — claimed that Lizzo pressured them into interacting with sexual performers in Amsterdam and Paris while on tour.
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More specifically, the Amsterdam bar — Bananen Bar — is a spot where nude performers are known for using bananas in sexual acts with customers.
Williams and Davis became Lizzo’s dancers after competing on her Watch Out for the Big Grrrls Amazon Prime series and claim they were fired this past spring.
Beyoncé seemingly took note of Lizzo’s legal troubles and notably omitted name-dropping the singer while performing “Break My Soul (Queen’s Mix)” during a stop on her Renaissance Tour earlier this week.
Beyoncé skipped her usual shoutout to Lizzo and replaced her name with extra mentions of Erykah Badu, who had thrown some wardrobe inspiration shade in Bey’s direction, saying her surname four times.
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“Badu, Lizzo, Kelly Rowl’” are the original lyrics, but she replaced them with: “Badu, Badu, Badu, Badu.”
