Dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez aren’t impressed with Lizzo’s response to their lawsuit.
The trio opened up to Entertainment Tonight after Lizzo, 35, issued a lengthy statement denying their hostile work environment accusations. “I think for me, it’s just very interesting to be so open and genuine about the trauma that we experienced and to be open about the hurt that she caused us, for her to [respond back by] essentially gaslighting us,” Williams claimed on Thursday, August 3. “She never acknowledged any of the claims [directly] that we have brought forward to the table.”
Williams argued that Lizzo’s response “solidifies the pattern” of what she and her fellow dancers allegedly experienced while working for the Grammy winner. “Every time we bring up an issue, every time we advocate for ourselves, every time we speak up for ourselves, we’re met with retaliation instead of, ‘OK, you experienced this. As an artist and what I represent, I don’t want you to feel like I don’t care about you,’” she continued. “‘I don’t want you to feel like I don’t want to include you. I don’t want you to feel like I’m body-shaming you. If this is what you’re feeling, I might completely disagree with you but, I can at least try to hear you out to see how we can go moving forward.’”
The apparent lack of accountability “further proves” the dancers’ claims. “We were constantly being gaslit, and she’s constantly deflecting,” Williams said.
Us Weekly confirmed on Tuesday, August 1, that Lizzo, her Big Grrrl Big Touring production company and dance captain Shirlene Quigley were sued. Davis, Williams and Rodriguez alleged that they experienced religious harassment, disability discrimination, sexual harassment and more as part of Lizzo’s troupe.
Lizzo responded two days later with a lengthy Instagram statement calling out the “false” and “unbelievable” accusations. “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 alleged on Thursday. “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.”
Lizzo asserted that she is “not the villain” that the dancers claim she is. “There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world,” she wrote, adding that she felt “hurt” by the lawsuit’s narrative.
As more details about the lawsuit emerged, filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison shared her own experience of collaborating with Lizzo in 2019. Allison briefly worked with the singer on a tour documentary but ultimately exited the project.
“I walked away after about 2 weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her,” she tweeted on Tuesday, claiming she “felt gaslit and was deeply hurt” by Lizzo.
When it comes to litigation, attorney Neama Rahmani thinks the dancers might be prepared to bring their allegations to trial. “We never know. Most cases do settle, but this is one I can easily see going to trial, because sometimes entertainers, whether it’s just denial or narcissism, they’re unwilling to accept that they maybe have done something wrong,” the lawyer exclusively told Us.
Rahmani hinted that a “resolution” could be “possible” if all parties played their cards right. “The ball’s in Lizzo’s court now, and we’ll see what she and her lawyers do, and that’ll really determine whether this case gets litigated or tried,” he said.
