In accordance with a lawsuit filed by three of Lizzo’s former dancers on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, the singer is being accused of sexual harassment and making a hostile work setting.
The lawsuit has not solely been lodged in opposition to Lizzo, whose actual identify is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, however her manufacturing firm “Large Grrrl Large Touring, Inc.” and their dance crew captain Shirlene Quigley.
The previous dancers, seen on Lizzo’s actuality TV present “Watch Out For The Large Grrrls,” who’ve filed the go well with are Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez. Whereas the allegations leveled in opposition to the “Fact Hurts” singer are severe, they’re by no means shocking.
Although Lizzo’s harassment allegations show that ‘damage folks damage folks,’ there’s nonetheless no excuse for her purported conduct.
A significant purpose the general public is so shocked about this lawsuit is that Lizzo is commonly seen as a pillar — a shining instance of standing up for herself in opposition to fat-shamers and telling those that they need to love themselves and embrace who they’re. She’s thought of an icon for the physique positivity motion.
In Might 2023, Lizzo shared a TikTok wherein she talked about her physique positivity journey and her need to keep up a wholesome frame of mind. “I feel lots of people see a fats individual that method and instantly simply assume every thing they’re doing is making an attempt to be skinny. I’m not making an attempt to be skinny. I don’t ever need to be skinny. The aim is all the time right here,” she mentioned, pointing to her head.
“As soon as I began figuring out for psychological well being, to have balanced psychological well being for endorphins,” she continued, “in order that I don’t have a look at myself within the mirror and really feel ashamed of myself and really feel disgusted with myself, train has helped me shift my thoughts — not my physique.”
Not solely was she pointing towards the way forward for a body-positive mindset, however normal psychological well being and well-being. Figuring out isn’t nearly getting skinny or in form, it’s about what it does to your psychological well being, which is why it’s equally as surprising to listen to concerning the allegations in opposition to her.
As an extremely profitable artist, Lizzo is consistently within the highlight. With that, she turns into a goal for individuals who really feel the necessity to fat-shame her or choose her primarily based on her look.
“The gorgeous nature of how Lizzo and her administration crew handled their performers appears to go in opposition to every thing Lizzo stands for publicly, whereas privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in methods that aren’t solely unlawful however completely demoralizing,” Ron Zambrano mentioned in a press release. Zambrano is the lawyer representing the dancers.
Society views ladies as objects of magnificence, and once they don’t match the idealistic societal mould, they face scrutiny. This fixed scrutiny is why it’s not surprising that she could also be projecting her personal insecurities onto her staff. Because the previous saying goes, “Damage folks damage folks.”
In accordance with MyTherapist, projection psychology is when “somebody attributes their very own unfavorable (or optimistic) emotions, flaws, and different quirks onto another person or one other group, and often onto somebody with whom they’re having a disagreement.” They declare that “somebody who initiatives will shift blame to disregard their issues or weaknesses.”
On this case, Lizzo could also be projecting to disregard her personal insecurities or to try to put herself above others for a second of self-gratification. Nevertheless, she could be a product of her setting, seeing as she is consistently scrutinized by the general public.
The leisure trade is filled with this poisonous conduct as effectively — not simply the general public. Girls from all ranges of the leisure trade, whether or not it’s performing or singing, are instructed that they must be skinny and exquisite. Once they aren’t, they’re ridiculed, and even when they’re, ladies are nonetheless continually being pitted in opposition to one another.
Lizzo is accused of ‘fat-shaming’ her dancers, amongst different hostile work setting allegations.
If the allegations within the lawsuit, obtained by NBC Information, are true, that will imply that Lizzo instructed Davis, one of many dancers, that she was “much less dedicated” to the function to be able to make a “thinly veiled” remark about her weight. Whereas it was not expressly acknowledged that Lizzo had allegedly fat-shamed her, the refined nuance is sufficient to make folks really feel betrayed.
Among the many “hostile work setting” accusations in opposition to Lizzo, there was allegedly an occasion wherein Lizzo accused the dance group of consuming earlier than performances. This resulted in an “excruciating” 12-hour rehearsal after Lizzo had allegedly instructed them they would wish to audition as soon as extra to be able to hold their jobs.
Since their job security gave the impression to be on the road, lots of the dancers felt the necessity to attend “non-mandatory” afterparties. At one among these afterparties on the Amsterdam strip membership, Bananenbar, Lizzo allegedly “started inviting forged members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and consuming bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas,” the go well with mentioned.
“Lizzo then turned her consideration to Ms. Davis and commenced pressuring Ms. Davis to the touch the breasts of one of many nude ladies,” it continued. This disregard for the autonomy of her dancers and the best way she allegedly handled them is inexcusable.
Her manufacturing firm and Quigley stand accused of non secular and racial harassment, in addition to interference with potential financial benefit. Representatives for Lizzo haven’t responded to requests for remark right now.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor for YourTango who focuses on leisure and information, social justice, and politics.
