Lizzo’s touring company, Big Grrrl, has defended the artist in a new motion to dismiss the lawsuit accusing them of sexual harassment and more.
According to Variety, 18 people in Lizzo’s crew wrote declarations against the serious accusations made by Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, the former dancers that were once with the team. Court documents were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday where Lizzo’s attorneys claim the lawsuit is a “fabricated sob story” and that the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in order to gain clout with “minimal effort.”
The motion states that the plaintiffs “missed flights, arrived late and hungover to rehearsals and drunk to performances, entered into consensual sexual relationships with male crew members on tour, exhibited a rapid decline in the quality of their dancing and professionalism, and ultimately conspired to make and disseminate an unauthorized recording of a creative meeting with Lizzo and the dance cast.”
Lizzo sings a Tina Turner song.
Would you pay to see this?
Credit: @JebraFaushay (great follow)pic.twitter.com/nzx76wwvUy
— •Ɛɱɱყ• (@brixwe) October 28, 2023
Several people who are part of the touring company claimed they never saw any body shaming or harassment while working with the “Truth Hurts” singer. One of the dancers, Melissa Locke, said she spoke with Davis and Rodriguez the night they claimed Lizzo forced them to perform sexual acts on performers at a cabaret club and claimed “they never said they felt uncomfortable or pressured.”
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“They were very enthusiastic about what a great night out they had,” Locke wrote in her declaration. “I remember telling them, ‘That sounds like so much fun, I wish you had woken me up to go with you.’ They agreed that it was a fun night and told me that they went out in the Red Light District after. They did not complain or sound upset in any way.”
Asia Banks, another dancer with Lizzo’s touring company, shot down Davis’ claims that the singer called out her weight gain. According to Banks, she was the largest person on the tour, and Lizzo did everything she could to make her feel secure.
“I would say that I was the biggest dancer on the tour,” Banks wrote. “Lizzo always went out of her way to make me feel secure and confident in my body, including by making sure I was comfortable in every single costume for the show. Lizzo gave us an incredible opportunity as plus-size dancers. A lot of artists will maybe hire one plus-sized dancer to fill a ‘diversity’ quota for their show. But Lizzo assembled an entire group of plus-size dancers to showcase our talent and celebrate us. Lizzo really made us part of a team of unstoppable plus-size women.”
Lizzo’s lawyers are looking for the case to be dismissed under the anti-SLAPP statute — a law that could protect the singer under free speech by dismissing meritless lawsuits.
I saw Lizzo at Sza’s concert last night pic.twitter.com/osfTMilKiY
— yev (@memesntingzz) October 24, 2023
Gossip Angle:
It’s interesting to see the different perspectives on this situation. Lizzo’s touring company is defending her against the allegations, but the three former dancers are sticking to their story. It’s also worth noting that Lizzo is a powerful celebrity, and it can be difficult for people to come forward with accusations against people in positions of power.
It’s important to remember that Lizzo is innocent until proven guilty. The court will decide whether or not the lawsuit is meritless. But for now, it’s a juicy gossip story that has people talking.
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