The 'Good as Hell' hitmaker is taken to court by her former backing dancers in a bombshell lawsuit for allegedly subjecting them to hostile work environment.
- Aug 2, 2023
AceShowbiz - Lizzo allegedly pressured her backing dancers into eating bananas sticking out of sex workers' vaginas during a wild trip to Amsterdam as part of a bombshell lawsuit against the singer. The "Good as Hell" performer, 35, is accused by three of her dancers to have also subjected them to endure weight-shaming and sexually denigrating behaviour.
Plaintiffs Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams claim in court papers, obtained by Page Six that were filed on Tuesday, August 1, they were eventually fired - while the third plaintiff, Noelle Rodriguez, said she resigned over Lizzo's "stunning" behaviour.
The trio say in their lawsuit that while on a concert trip with the Grammy Award-winning artist to Amsterdam in February 2023, Lizzo invited them for a night out on the town that ended in the city's Red Light District.
They said in their filing, "Things quickly got out of hand. Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers' vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers' vaginas."
The dancers added Lizzo allegedly "pressured" and "goaded" Arianna into touching one of the nude performer's breasts. They also claim a month later Lizzo - real name Melissa Viviane Jefferson - deceived them once again into attending a nude show, claiming the action equated to "robbing them of the choice not to participate."
Arianna also claims in the lawsuit at one point she had no choice but to "soil herself" on stage during an "excruciating" re-audition, "fearing the repercussions" of excusing herself to go to the bathroom. Lizzo is said to have fired the dancer "on the spot" after learning she had recorded one of their meetings even though it was meant to have "a copy of the notes" the artist provided.
Noelle resigned shortly thereafter out of solidarity for Arianna and the "disrespect" Lizzo allegedly showed her.
The plaintiffs are suing for general and special damages, as well as punitive damages and attorneys' fees. Along with Lizzo, they are suing "Big Grrrl Big Touring" and dancer Shirlene Quigley.
Ron Zambrano, the plaintiffs' attorney, said in a statement, "The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing."
Page Six said representatives for Lizzo didn't immediately return requests for comment.
