Lizzo, an American singer/rapper, gained widespread recognition for sending empowering and body-positive messages through her music. The singer received a lot of hate on social media for her physical appearance but she always sent out positive messages to her fans. But is it acceptable if the singer herself body shames other people?
Three dancers who were a part of the singer’s dance team have recently filed a lawsuit against the singer and her production company accusing them of s-xual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. The lawsuit highlighted a specific event where these dancers felt exploited.
Lizzo has been accused of creating a hostile work environment
Three dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, who were a part of singer Lizzo‘s dance team have accused the singer and her production team of s-xual, religious, and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault, false imprisonment, and few other charges.
The dancers feared that they would lose their jobs and that’s why they were hesitant to come forward. In the lawsuit, they highlighted an event that took place in Amsterdam, in which the singer allegedly forced these dancers to touch the n*de performers at a bar. As per the documents, the singer also forced her dancers to attend a n*de cabaret bar.
The singer also weight-shamed one of her dancers
In the lawsuit, dancer Arianna Davis also claimed that the singer was concerned when Davis gained weight and questioned her lifestyle. The lawsuit claimed,
“In professional dance, a dancer’s weight gain is often seen as that dancer getting lazy or worse off as a performer. Lizzo’s and Ms. Scott’s questions about Ms. Davis’s commitment to the tour were thinly veiled concerns about Ms. Davis’s weight gain, which Lizzo had previously called attention to after noticing it at the South by Southwest music festival.”
The lawsuit was filed against the singer, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. (BGBT), and Shirlene Quigley, leader of the singer’s dance team.
Also read: “I’m royalty”: $40M Rich Lizzo Brands Herself a Disney Princess Following ‘The Mandalorian’ Cameo
Lizzo has been praised for her body-positivity messages
One of the main reasons why the singer has been praised by the fans was because of her positive and empowering messages. Despite all the body-shaming comments, the singer always seemed to use her platform to inspire and uplift her fans. The dancers’ attorney, Ron Zambrano, pointed out the irony,
“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.”
The singer is yet to comment on the allegations. Aside from her music career, she has also appeared in movies and TV shows, including appearances in Hustlers (2019) and UglyDolls (2019).
Related: “This movie is gonna change your lives”: Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ Will Make You Cry
Source: Variety
