Lizzo has become a global phenomenon, a larger woman, she is seemingly all about self love and body positivity. Now Lizzo is facing charges that will shock the world.
It comes as today some truly shocking claims have been made against her.
The singer’s real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson and she is facing claims of sexual harassment, and of creating a hostile work environment via racial and religious harassment.
Lizzo is best known for hits such as Truth Hurts, About Damn Time, Juice, Good As Hell and 2 Be Loved.
Lizzo Charges
The shocking claims come from three of her backing dancers.
Two of the claimants are Arianna Davis and another former dancer, Crystal Williams.
What are accusations?
Lizzo of calling attention to the weight of one of her dancers, Arianna Davis.
The suit describes the comment as a “thinly veiled” concern about Davis’ weight.
Strip club
The suit claims, Lizzo and her dancers went to an Amsterdam strip club called Bananenbar, where the singer allegedly “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas”.
Firings
Williams claims that she was fired after speaking up against Lizzo, after she accused some of the dancers of drinking alcohol before performances
Racial unfairness
This claim is about the employees of Lizzo’s touring company, which the suit describes as “charged with racial and fat-phobic animus”.
The ex-dancers say they asked to be paid for their downtime at 50 per cent of their weekly pay, but an accountant allegedly declined,
The dancer’s claim that “only the dance cast — comprised of full-figured women of color — were ever spoken to in this manner,” the suit said, when
Religious issues
Lizzo’s dance captain Shirlene Quigley allegedly harassed the dancers with her religious beliefs.
Allegedly, she preached her Christianity and “took every opportunity to proselytize to any and all in her presence regardless of protestations”.
Why does it matter?
Lizzo has said online videos which fat shamed her were “starting to make me hate the world.”
“I’m tired of explaining myself all the time,” she also said.
The dancers’ lawyer, Rob Zambrano, said: “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.”
During a recent Lizzo concert a clip went viral after she brought a young Australian fan onstage who professed to the singer that she was being bullied online.
“The words that we say have a long-lasting effect on people,” Lizzo told the fan.
It will leave many fans disillusioned with the star who they might have found a kindred spirit.
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