Lizzo’s former backing dancers respond to her statement on lawsuit

The three dancers suing Lizzo have said that her statement denying allegations made against her was “disheartening” to read.

Earlier today (August 3), Lizzo responded to the lawsuit filed by Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, in which they accuse her of creating a hostile work environment and engaging in sexual harassment among other allegations. Her dance team captain Shirlene Quigley and production company Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. are also named as defendants in the suit.

Lizzo said she was “hurt” by the allegations, which she claimed were false.

“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 said.  “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.

“With passion comes hard work and high standards. 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 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. 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.”

Now, the three dancers have responded to her statement. “Initially for me it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated,” Williams told Channel 4 in an interview. “I think the overall theme in all this is that our experiences were our experiences and our traumas were our traumas. In bringing that forward, it feels like it was disregarded completely. It feels like we were made out to be putting out false allegations when that’s not the case.”

“So yes, it was very disheartening to read and feel overlooked especially when she stands for what she stands for in regards to women’s empowerment – being an advocate for mental health – being an advocate for body positivity – and to just further prove that that’s not the case, because nothing was acknowledged in that statement.’

Rodriguez agreed, continuing: “It’s shocking to read a statement like that. In her words and the way she’s saying this, it’s invalidating not only our experience that she was there first-hand to witness […] but also other women who have previously worked with her that have come forward in light of this.

“She mentioned something in this statement [around] protecting women – where was that same sentiment when I stated to her and wanted to talk out things and saying ‘I’m resigning because I feel unsafe, I feel unheard, I’m disrespected’?”

Meanwhile, Davis said: “A person can do good things, very good things and those don’t go away. The goodness you put out into the world – it stays there. But two things can be true at the same time. Someone that does good things can also do can do bad things and the sentiment applies […] People have been affected, it’s not just us […] The consistency of wrongdoing is very telling.

“I look up to the fact she was using her platform to address issues that other artists weren’t doing but knowing her now, it was performative.”

The dancers are seeking damages for emotional distress, unpaid wages, loss of earnings and lawyer’s fees for the allegations, including sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination and false imprisonment. The amount they are seeking hasn’t been made public.

Meanwhile, documentarian and photographer Sophia Nahli Allison came forward following the news of the lawsuit saying she left a documentary with Lizzo after just two weeks back in 2019 due to “such disrespect”.

“I witnessed how arrogant, self-centered, and unkind she is. I was not protected and was thrown into a shitty situation with little support,” she wrote. “My spirit said to run as fast as you fucking can and I’m so grateful I trusted my gut.”

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