Lizzo Responds to Allegations: 'I Am Not the Villain'

Lizzo has broken her silence on the sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed against her by her former backing dancers, insisting that she is "not the villain" she has been portrayed to be through the allegations.

The singer, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, has been sued by three of her former dancers, who have accused the musician of sexually harassing them and creating a hostile work environment. Included in the complaint were allegations of body shaming.

Speaking out on the allegations in an Instagram post on Thursday morning, the star wrote: "These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.

"These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional."

The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles and shared with Newsweek by the plaintiffs' law firm on Tuesday, alleges, among other things, that Lizzo pressured one of the complainants to touch a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

While Lizzo has become known for celebrating body positivity, it was also claimed that she drew attention to the weight gain of one of the dancers, whom she is later said to have berated and fired.

Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez are the former dancers bringing the lawsuit. They allege that between 2021 and 2023 they were "forced to endure sexually denigrating behavior" and "pressured into participating in disturbing sex shows."

"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," the complainants' lawyer Ron Zambrano said in a statement shared with Newsweek.

Hitting back at the numerous claims made in the lawsuit, Lizzo said in her statement on Thursday: "As an artist I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans.

"With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it's never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren't valued as an important part of the team."

"I am not here to be looked at as the victim," she went on, "but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days. I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not.

"There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight. I'm hurt but I will not let the good work I've done in the world be overshadowed by this."

Concluding her statement, Lizzo thanked "everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time."

Elsewhere in the lawsuit filed against Lizzo, the star's dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, is accused of deriding those who had engaged in premarital sex, while also discussing her sex life with her husband.

Newsweek reached out to the complainants' legal representatives and Quigley via email for comment.

Lizzo's production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. has also been accused of racial discrimination as Black members of the dance troupe were "treated differently" to other members of the team, the lawsuit alleges. The company was behind Lizzo's 2022 competition reality show Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls on Amazon Prime.

Two of the three dancers said they met Lizzo during the production of the reality show in March 2021.

The suit, which names Lizzo, her production company and Quigley as defendants, also includes accusations of religious harassment and false imprisonment, among other allegations. Not all claims were brought against each of the defendants.

Update 08/03/23, 9:02 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.