Lizzo has formally responded to the lawsuit filed against her by three former members of her dance team, stating that the litigation should be dismissed in its entirety with prejudice.
Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez accuse Lizzo, her company Big Grrrl Big Touring, and the captain of her dance team Shirlene Quigle of creating a toxic working environment, sexual harassment and other improper conduct. Meanwhile, their lawyer has called the musician a hypocrite, for promoting diversity and body positivity in public, while "privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralising”.
Commenting on this week’s court filing, a spokesperson for Lizzo stated: “This is the first step of a legal process in which Lizzo and her team will demonstrate that they have always practiced what they’ve preached - whether it comes to promoting body positivity, leading a safe and supportive workplace, or protecting individuals from any kind of harassment. Any and all claims to the contrary are ridiculous, and we look forward to proving so in a court of law".
The new filing disputes every allegation made in the original lawsuit, asking for dismissal with prejudice, which would mean no new legal claim could be made in the future. Should the case proceed to court, however, Lizzo's team want a jury trial.
Lizzo herself previously responded to the lawsuit on social media, stating: "These sensationalised stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional”.
Responding to this week's legal filing, a lawyer working for the dancers, Neama Rahmani, told reporters: “Lizzo’s answer merely consists of boilerplate objections that have nothing to do with the case. That said, the key takeaway is that Lizzo is agreeing to our clients’ demand for a jury trial".
"We look forward to presenting our case in court", he added, "and letting a panel of her peers decide who is telling the truth, Lizzo and her team who continue to shame the victims, or the plaintiffs and so many others who have come forward sharing similar stories of abuse and harassment".
Last week another former employee of Lizzo, clothing designer Asha Daniels, also filed a lawsuit accusing the musician and her team of racial and sexual harassment, assault and illegal retaliatory termination.