Are the Rumors True, Lizzo?

Lizzo is a pop nova who has been known for her uplifting songs, confident persona, and body positive stances; however, recently she has come under fire after former employees say she created a toxic work environment. What are the allegations against Lizzo? Let’s break them down.

So first let’s talk about Lizzo and why she is known for being a body positive icon. Body positivity is a movement that promotes the acceptance of all body types. It encourages people to love and appreciate their bodies, regardless of their size, shape, or appearance. Body positivity is about challenging negative stereotypes about our bodies and promoting a more diverse and inclusive view of beauty.

Body positivity can be beneficial for people of all shapes and sizes. It can help people to feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin. It can also help to reduce the risk of eating disorders and other mental health problems. There are many ways to practice body positivity. Some people find it helpful to follow body positive influencers on social media, read body positive books and articles, or join body positive groups. Others find it helpful to practice self-love rituals, such as taking a bath, getting a massage, or wearing clothes that make them feel good.

Ultimately, body positivity is about finding what works for you and celebrating your unique beauty. Lizzo has been on the front lines of the body positivity movement, especially online. She responds to fatphobic trolls with both elegance and force, maintaining a sense of positivity and confidence in her responses. Still, Lizzo has been transparent about how the racist and fatphobic comments she receives on a daily basis affect her mental health, even saying she has run to the bathroom and cried because of the hate she has received online. Now, she has been accused (not found guilty) of making her dancers feel the exact same way.

Multiple people who have worked with the star have alleged that the she made working for her a literal living hell. The claims state that Lizzo created a hostile work environment and even committed sexual harassment. The lawsuit was filed by three of her former dancers and also alleges misconduct by her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., and her dance team captain Shirlene Quigley. The dancers claim that Lizzo forced them into unwanted sexual situations, made comments about a dancer’s weight gain, and forced dancers to endure rehearsals that even caused one dancer to soil herself. 

The lawsuit was brought by plaintiffs Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis, and Noelle Rodriguez. It alleges nine areas of misconduct which the dancers say they experienced on Lizzo’s “Special” tour. The allegations made against her include a hostile work environment that featured sexual harassment, a failure to prevent or remedy sexual harassment in the workplace, and a failure to prevent or remedy religious harassment in the workplace. The plaintiffs also state that they were made to feel their employment was in jeopardy and that if they wanted to continue working then they needed to silently accept the toxic work environment.

Some of the allegations include Lizzo pressuring them to attend a nude performance in Amsterdam, to eat bananas placed upon nude dancers genitalia, and pressure placed on one of the dancers to caress a dancer’s breast. There were also allegations of religiously based harassment. The plaintiffs complained that Lizzo’s dance team captain Shirlene Quigley chastised dancers for not sharing her religious beliefs as a Christian. They state that they were made to participate in religious rituals, like prayer, regardless of their own religious beliefs. One dancer says that her virginity was frequently openly discussed without her consent. 

Filmmaker Nahli Allison, who is not part of the lawsuit, also came forth to say that she was hired to direct a documentary on Lizzo and followed her to gather information for the movie. She stated that Lizzo was a “narcissistic bully” and “unkind.” The director said that "In 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about two weeks," Allison wrote. "I was treated with such disrespect by her. I witnessed how arrogant, self-centered and unkind she is."

Lizzo took to social media to deny all of these claims and stated that the claims were “unbelievable” and “outrageous.” You can read her post below.

The last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound 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.

All in all, these claims are very serious allegations; however, it is true that Lizzo has not been found civilly responsible for any of these claims. Still, many of her fans have been reeling as they try to reckon with the fact that a beloved superstar known for body positivity, feminism, and empowerment may have made people feel the opposite of empowered in the workplace she created.