Lizzo has the support of nearly two dozen employees who have spoken out in defense of the singer amid her legal battle with three former dancers. As previously reported by REVOLT, the entertainer, her touring company, and her dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, were named in a suit brought against them by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez in August.
The three women alleged that they faced disability discrimination and sexual and religious harassment and that they were forced to inappropriately interact with nude dancers at a sex show in Amsterdam. The “Rumors” singer countersued, and in an open letter, she shot down the disappointing claims.
However, according to Variety, a new motion to dismiss the ex-dancers’ suit was filed on Friday (Oct. 27) in the Los Angeles Superior Court. In the documents, 18 members of Lizzo’s Big Grrrl production company wrote declarations debunking claims that the Grammy Award winner was verbally abusive, body-shamed crew members, and helped cultivate a hostile working environment.
Dancer Melissa Locke claimed that Davis and Rodriguez both boasted about the fun they had with Lizzo in the Red Light District. She stated that at no point did the women indicate that they felt pressured or that their jobs were at stake if they did not participate in the night’s festivities. “They were very enthusiastic about what a great night out they had… 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,” wrote Locke in her declaration.
Lizzo’s attorney, Martin D. Singer, said the former dancers’ lawsuit is a “fabricated sob story” filed “out of spite and in pursuit of media attention, public sympathy, and a quick payday with minimal effort.” The motion further claims the former dancers exhibited unprofessional behavior, including showing up to rehearsal hungover and missing flights, and that the quality of dancing had begun to decline.
It is also alleged that the women “entered into consensual sexual relationships with male crew members on tour” and that they “conspired to make and disseminate an unauthorized recording of a creative meeting with Lizzo and the dance cast.”
Last month, the entertainer earned high honors at the Black Music Action Coalition when she received the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award for her hit show, “Watch Out For The Big Grrrls.”