Lizzo Says She Was 'Completely Surprised' By Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Lizzo recently revealed that she was "surprised" by the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against her by her former backup dancers.
Lizzo has opened up regarding the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against her last year.
The "Truth Hurts" singer was accused of harassment last August by three of her backup dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez — but the singer was dismissed from the case. Her company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., is still named in the lawsuit.
The dancers accused Lizzo of forcing them to touch nude performers and eat "bananas protruding from the performers’ v-ginas" at Bananenbar, a club in Amsterdam, while on tour.
Lizzo Speaks Out About Lawsuit
According to PEOPLE, Lizzo opened up about the lawsuit during an episode of "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer" on Thursday. The "Boys" singer said she needed time to process the allegations.
Lizzo had just finished her "Watch Out for the Big Grrrls" tour when she was "blindsided" by the lawsuit.
"I was literally living in my dream, and then the tour ended, and three ex-dancers just completely, like, blindsided me with a lawsuit," she recalled, adding that she was "completely surprised."
Lizzo also said that she was "deeply hurt" given the opportunity she'd provided the dancers with.
"I was very deeply hurt because these were three ex-dancers, so they weren't on the tour. They didn't, like, finish the tour out with us. But even regardless of that, these were people that I gave opportunities to," she said.
Lizzo Said The Bananenbar Escapades Were 'Consensual'
Lizzo revealed that she didn't even invite the dancers to the Bananenbar bar, and the experience has resulted in her having more boundaries where her employees are concerned.
"I have been meaning to get this off my chest," she noted, adding that she originally went to the club alone before others joined her. "I didn't take them anywhere. They came to the club I was at, and it was no mandatory invitation," she said. "I didn't even know that those two particular dancers were coming mind, you. Only two of them came, even though all three of them said they did, it was only two I didn't even know they were coming."
According to PEOPLE, Lizzo was accused of encouraging the dancers to catch dildos sent flying from the v-ginas of performers at the Bananenbar. She was also accused of encouraging the dancers to take turns "eating bananas protruding from the performers' v-ginas."
Lizzo went on to say that the evening was fun but "everything was consensual."
'Let's Be Clear, I Did Nothing Wrong'
Lizzo added that she'd done "nothing wrong," and she liked the three dancers prior to the lawsuit. She was particularly offended by the sexual harassment claim.
"These were people that — I liked them and appreciated them as dancers, respected them as dancers," Lizzo said.
"So I was like, what? But then I heard all the other things like sexual harassment, and I was like, they're trying well, I don't know what they're trying to do, but these are the types of things that the media can turn into something that it's not... Let's be clear, I did nothing wrong."
Lizzo Denied The Accusations On Instagram
Lizzo denied the accusations on Instagram back in 2023 and called the allegations "false."
"These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned," she wrote.
The Grammy Award winner also said that the accusations were "sensationalized"
"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."
Lizzo Also Sued By Former Wardrobe Stylist
Lizzo was also sued in September of 2023 by her former wardrobe stylist, Asha Daniels. Daniels claimed that the "Rumors" singer harassed and bullied herself, the dancers and background singers while on tour with the artist.
"I was witnessing myself, the dancers and the background vocalists and my local team in every city be harassed and bullied regularly," Daniels said.
"A judge saw this, and in the court of law, he looked at the evidence and said, 'OK. We can't allow this to go through,'" said Lizzo, noting that she was dismissed from the lawsuit, but the complaint stands.
Daniels' attorney, Ron Zambrano, noted that the lawsuit is still active and does not absolve the singer from wrongdoing.
"The lawsuit is still very active and has not been dismissed," he said. "The ruling was not for lack of evidence, but rather on procedural jurisdictional grounds. It by no means absolves Lizzo of the egregious claims that occurred on her watch."
