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Pop star Lizzo is facing a lawsuit from former dancers who claim she fat-shamed them and subjected them to other forms of harassment.
Despite being celebrated as a role model for body and fat positivity, Lizzo has been strongly criticized by attorney Ron Zambrano in the lawsuit brought by three dancers.
“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,” Zambrano said.
The singer is facing multiple allegations in a lawsuit including sexual, racial, and religious harassment, assault, false imprisonment, and disability discrimination.
According to the lawsuit, during a visit to a club in Amsterdam in February, one of the dancers was allegedly compelled to engage with a naked performer. Lizzo is also accused of raising concerns about a dancer’s dedication to the tour, which was interpreted as a derogatory comment about her weight.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Lizzo’s production company, Big Grrrls Big Tour, neglected to address complaints of harassment made by the dancers.
“BGBT management treated the Black members of the dance team differently than other members. BGBT’s management team consisted almost entirely of white Europeans who often accused the Black members of the dance team of being lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes,” read the lawsuit.
“Not only do these words ring familiar as tropes used to disparage and discourage Black women from advocating for themselves, but the same accusations were not levied against dancers who are not Black,” the lawsuit continued.
Lizzo has been at the center of various controversies surrounding body positivity. In 2020, fitness expert Jillian Michaels faced backlash on social media for criticizing the singer as an unhealthy role model for young people.
In December 2020, Lizzo received criticism from some for openly discussing her weight loss journey, including the use of health shakes. Critics accused her of promoting “fatphobia” and endorsing “diet culture.”
Furthermore, the singer made headlines in April for inviting drag queens to her show in Knoxville as a form of protest against a Tennessee law that placed restrictions on drag performances in the state.
