Despite Lizzo's message of positivity and inclusion, many former collaborators and employees of the singer have come forward recently to allege that she and her team created or allowed a toxic work environment. After the story broke because of a lawsuit, more have come forward with their own experiences about working with the 35-year-old, though no hard proof has been offered to corroborate any of it, and Lizzo has not yet commented publicly.
Here is a timeline of the still-evolving story:
August 1, 2023: NBC News exclusively reports on a bombshell lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on behalf of three former tour dancers that names Lizzo (whose legal name is Melissa Vivianne Jefferson), her company, and her dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, as defendants. The incidents in question seem to have mostly taken place during the first half of 2023. Specifically, the suit accuses Quigley of pressuring her dancers on religious matters and Lizzo of pressuring an uncomfortable dancer to touch a nude performer at an after-party. There are also allegations of weight-shaming, unfair firings, and racially biased attitudes.
August 2, 2023: Others who have worked with Lizzo come forward in support of the dancers. Director Sophia Nahli Allison, who was in 2019 briefly attached to a documentary about the singer, blasts her, calling her “arrogant, self-centered, and unkind.” (An HBOMax documentary, Love, Lizzo, directed by Doug Pray, was released in 2022.)
Dancer Courtney Hollinquest posts a link to an article about the suit to her Instagram Stories and writes, “For clarification, I’m not a part of the lawsuit—but this was very much my experience in my time there,” per JustJared. “Big shoutout to the dancers who had the courage to bring this to light.” Director Quinn Wilson, who worked on many creative projects with Lizzo, reposts Hollinquest's story, adding, “I haven’t been apart of that world for around three years, for a reason. I very much applaude [sic] the dancers' courage to bring this to light. And I grieve parts of my own experience. I'd appreciate space to understand my feelings.”
Artist Asha Efia seems to allude to the situation on her own Stories, writing, “I really don't believe in being a POS boss,” and Wilson reposts that as well.
Additionally, Wilson uploads a post from Reddit about power dynamics in the workplace.
Wilson's girlfriend, musician King Princess, corroborates her story, saying she's seen Wilson be “underpaid, undervalued, and deeply mistreated.”
Wilson reposts King Princess's story, but adds, “And still… Two truths can exist simultaneously.”
August 2, 2023: Lizzo responds to the allegations in a statement posted to her Instagram and Twitter accounts. “These last few days been have gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized,” she writes, calling the accusations “false” and “too outrageous not to 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,” she continues. “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.” Lizzo also says in her statement that she is not the victim but she is also “not the villain that people and the media have portrayed” her to be.
“There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world,” she continued. “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.”
August 15, 2023: The queen has spoken, and she appears to be on Lizzo's side.
During the Atlanta stop of her Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé made a point to give the singer a shout-out. Just before performing “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix),” which includes the lyric “[Erykah] Badu, Lizzo, Kelly [Rowland],” Bey bellowed into the mic, “I love you, Lizzo!”
The pointed mention came as a surprise, considering that just a couple weeks back, on the same day that the allegations against Lizzo were first made public, Beyoncé omitted the singer's name from “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)” entirely.
This article was originally published on Glamour US.
