Lizzo Speaks on Sexual Harassment Lawsuit: ‘I Did Nothing Fallacious’

Lizzo has spoken up concerning the harassment circumstances filed in opposition to her final yr.

The Grammy winner was accused by a number of folks of harassment within the office, together with claims from three of her former dancers and her former stylist. The latter, filed final September, was not too long ago dismissed by a California federal courtroom decide who granted the partial movement on the idea that the previous stylist, Asha Daniels, had no standing to sue Lizzo. Daniels continues to be pursuing authorized motion in opposition to Lizzo’s touring and payroll corporations.

Now that Lizzo, as a person, has been dismissed from the case, she’s free to discuss the allegations and the lawsuit in nice element. “We’re persevering with to combat the opposite claims till they’re all dismissed — not dropped, however dismissed,” Lizzo advised Keke Palmer in a brand new episode of the “Child, This Is Keke Palmer” podcast (Spotify). “It’s a massive victory.”

Daniels’ lawsuit alleged that she skilled sexual and racial harassment by people on the singer’s administration group. She additionally alleged that there was a hostile work atmosphere and additional time hours labored had been unpaid.

The lawsuit filed by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez accused Lizzo of sexual harassment and making a hostile work atmosphere. Amongst these fees: alleged sexual, spiritual and racial harassment, incapacity discrimination, assault and false imprisonment, amongst a slew of different fees.

“The toughest half about all that is that none of these items had been true,” she mentioned. “I used to be utterly stunned. I used to be very deeply harm as a result of these had been three dancers… that I gave alternatives to. These had been folks that I preferred and appreciated as dancers, revered them as dancers. So I used to be like, ‘What?!’ However then I heard all the opposite issues, like sexual harassment, and I used to be like, ‘I don’t know what they’re attempting to do,’ however these are the sorts of issues that the media can flip into one thing that it’s not.”

Maybe probably the most salacious declare got here from one of many dancers who mentioned they had been pressured — as a consequence of concern of dropping their jobs — to the touch nude dancers throughout a stay intercourse present in Amsterdam’s Pink Gentle District, notoriously recognized for its prostitution, intercourse theaters, nude bars and golf equipment.

Whereas at a nude bar referred to as the Bananenbar, Davis claimed Lizzo invited her tour dancers to take turns touching the nude performers, catching intercourse toys launched from the performers’ vaginas, and consuming bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas. “Lizzo then turned her consideration to Ms. Davis and commenced pressuring Ms. Davis to the touch the breasts of one of many nude ladies performing on the membership,” the lawsuit said. “Lizzo started main a chant goading Ms. Davis. Ms. Davis mentioned 3 times, loud sufficient for all to listen to, ‘I’m good,’ expressing her want to not contact the performer.”

In dialog with Palmer, Lizzo expressed she would by no means discuss this interplay once more after offering the next clarifications: “I went [to Bananenbar] alone as a result of I used to be in Amsterdam… I didn’t take [the dancers, the plaintiffs] wherever. They got here to the membership I used to be at, and it was no necessary invitation, and I didn’t even know that these two specific dancers [plaintiffs] had been coming. Thoughts you, solely two of them got here, despite the fact that all three of them mentioned they did, it was solely two.”

Lizzo goes on to clarify the “enjoyable atmosphere” of the Bananenbar that evening, describing it as a “very consensual” expertise.

“Do you are feeling wanting again on the scenario that possibly your informal character may have been misconstrued as ‘I gotta do that, as a result of that is my boss?’” requested Palmer. “I don’t suppose that individuals who I make use of ought to even be aware of how I’m in a bar at this level,” Lizzo mentioned in response. “I feel that this expertise taught me wholesome boundaries, however to be actual with you, it was such a enjoyable evening… I feel there’s a time the place there’s a distinction between having boundaries {and professional} boundaries… It’s nuanced. It’s a brand new dialog on this trade.”

The interview concluded with Lizzo teasing her new album, which she says is completed. “A whole lot of the music is me speaking issues by,” she mentioned. “I remembered my objective… I’m placing all the pieces in my artwork.”