Lizzo has been served. Three of her former back-up dancers filed a civil lawsuit against her and her company alleging that they were sexually harassed, forced to perform in a hostile work environment, among other allegations.
One of the women suing the “About Damn Time” singer is Noelle Rodriguez, a dancer from Texas who performed in Lizzo’s music video for the 2021 song, “Rumors.”
According to the suit, Lizzo’s dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, would disparage Rodriguez about her faith because Quigley considered her a “non-believer.” The suit also states that Quigley said, “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord.”
In addition, when Rodriguez expressed that she felt disrespected after a meeting, Lizzo responded by “cracking her knuckles, balling her fists” and telling her she was “lucky” before raising both of her middle fingers and yelling a slur.
Along with her role as one of Lizzo’s back-up dancers, Rodriguez has performed with Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and Sam Smith. She’s also worked as a dancer on the first season of the HBO series Euphoria and was a model for GAP and Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company, SKIMS.
According to NBC News, Quigley is also accused of criticizing dancers’ sex lives and discussing inappropriate sexual topics. Lizzo is accused of fat shaming dancers, pressuring them to touch nude performers, and other bad behavior.
“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” Ron Zambrano, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, said in a statement.
In an Instagram post in early May, Rodriguez wrote that she was happy to be in a place where she didn’t have to accept disrespect from anyone.
“I stand strong in walking away from spaces that don’t serve me, and more importantly don’t deserve me,” she wrote. “My talent, my character and reputation speak volumes on its own.”
Today, August 3rd, Lizzo released a statement where she said, “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.”
