Lizzo is getting support from current members of her staff in combatting the salacious claims made in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by three former dancers.
According to 18 members of Lizzo’s touring company, the Grammy award-winning singer provided a positive work environment and not the hostile one alleged by her former dancers, TMZ reports. The nearly two dozen staffers wrote declarations disputing the lawsuit claims made by Lizzo’s axed dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez.
Kiara Mooring, a current tour dancer, denies Davis, Williams, and Rodriguez’s claims of being penalized if they didn’t go out partying with Lizzo.
In the harassment lawsuit, the former dancers noted an alleged incident that took place at Bannenbar, an Amsterdam-based bar with nude performers and a famed banana show. The axed dancers claim they were forced to touch the nude dancers despite expressing their discomfort.“This claim also makes no sense because plenty of the dancers (myself included) did not go to Bananenbar that night and we still have our job dancing with Lizzo,” Mooring wrote.
But according to another tour dancer who spoke with two of the accusers after going to Bannenbar, they didn’t appear bothered by the night out.
“They never said they felt uncomfortable or pressured,” dancer Melissa Locke wrote. “They were very enthusiastic about what a great night out they had.”
She continued. “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,” Locke added.
In the lawsuit, Davis accuses Lizzo of body-shaming her even after she allegedly admitted to having an eating disorder. But one current dancer denies these claims.
“In my experience, there was absolutely no body shaming on tour,” dancer Alaini Walker said. “I have experienced racial discrimination, sexual harassment and body shaming in this industry, but never while working with Lizzo.
“In fact, Lizzo’s tour felt like the opposite of many negative experiences I have had as a dancer,” she added.
According to another dancer who claims to be the biggest-sized dancer on the tour, shut down any claims of body-shaming.
“I was the biggest dancer on the tour,” Asia 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.”
According to Lizzo’s bass player Zuri Appleby, most of the staff expressed concern about Davis’ health. But not for the reasons she claims.
“To the contrary, everyone on the tour was genuinely concerned about Davis, not because she had gained weight, but because she was lax about her performances, her hygiene and her health,” Appleby claims.
Dancer Chawnta Van also denies lawsuit claims of the dancers being prevented from taking on other work while on tour. The dancers were allegedly given a retainer where they would be paid a percentage of their weekly rate when the tour was paused and were still allowed to book other dancing gigs.
Others denied Rodgriguez’s claims of Lizzo intimidating
her during a staff meeting. According to one dancer, “Lizzo never got near Rodgriuez or in her face.” The declarations are part of a motion Lizzo’s legal team filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in an attempt to dismiss most of the lawsuit claims.RELATED CONTENT: Lizzo’s Dance Captain Demands Lawsuit Dismissal, Claims Behavior Was Justified