Pop sensation Lizzo is embroiled in a legal battle as three former dancers accuse her of sexual harassment, religious discrimination, and racial animus. The dancers allege that they were pressured into attending sex shows and treated disrespectfully during Lizzo’s tour between 2021 and 2023. Lizzo is also accused of fat-shaming and pushing her Christian beliefs on the performers. The production company and dance captain are also named in the lawsuit.
The case details disturbing allegations against Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, including pressuring a dancer to touch another performer’s breasts in a nightclub in Amsterdam. Moreover, she and the dance choreographer, Tanisha Scott, are accused of fat-shaming a dancer on tour. The legal documents claim that Lizzo’s and Scott’s questions about the dancer’s weight gain gave her the impression that she needed to disclose intimate personal details about her life to keep her job.
Furthermore, racial discrimination accusations are leveled at the management team of the production company, BGBT. The plaintiffs claim that the dance cast, consisting of full-figured women of color, was treated differently, with racially charged and fat-phobic comments. They were accused of being lazy and unprofessional, perpetuating harmful stereotypes about black women.
The dancers also assert that they were not paid fairly during Lizzo’s European tour and were offered only 25% of their weekly pay while not performing. They were told not to work on other projects while on tour. The legal action was filed in Los Angeles and remains to be tested in court. Lizzo and the accused parties have not yet publicly responded to the allegations.
