ANPSinger Lizzo in Rotterdam at the beginning of July during a performance at North Sea Jazz
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 21:59
American singer Lizzo has been sued by three former background dancers for sexual misconduct and creating an unsafe work environment.
The indictment, seen by news sites NBC News and Rolling Stone, among others, alleges a hostile environment, sexual harassment, and claims of religious and racial harassment. Lizzo’s production company and dance team head Shirlene Quigley are also facing charges.
The statements also mention a situation in the Amsterdam strip club Bananenbar: Lizzo – whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson – allegedly forced her “members of staff to touch the naked performers, catch dildos coming out of the strippers’ vaginas, were launched and eat bananas sticking out of the vaginas,” the indictment reads.
Lizzo often takes her staff on outings. Employees are not obliged to come along, but the background dancers state that the employees who do go along are favored and get more security.
Advocate for body positivity
Another charge is about how Lizzo points out her weight gain to one of the dancers and calls her names. “The astounding nature of the behavior goes against everything Lizzo publicly stands for,” the dancers’ lawyer said in a statement. He is baffled by how Lizzo and her management treat their staff. The 35-year-old singer is known as a champion of body positivity.
The indictment revolves around three dancers who were fired in April and May this year. According to Lizzo, two dancers were fired because they were drunk, the third was later fired because she allegedly recorded the meeting about that dismissal.
2023-08-01 19:59:48
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