Lizzo’s backup dancers file lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, fat-shaming

globalnews.ca:

Three of Lizzo‘s former performers are suing the singer, alleging sexual harassment and accusing her of creating a hostile work environment. There are also accusations that Lizzo pressured one of them to interact with a nude performer against their will in Amsterdam, and that the pop superstar has shamed and degraded members of her staff based on their looks and weight.

The lawsuit, first reported on by NBC News, was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. It also names Lizzo’s production company, Big Grrrl Touring, Inc., and Shirlene Quigley, Lizzo’s dance team captain, as defendants.

The suit, filed by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, alleges that the defendants created a hostile work environment through religious, sexual and racial harassment. It also alleges two separate lewd incidents involving a banana.

The dancers are suing for damages over emotional distress including unpaid wages, loss of earnings and lawyer’s fees.

According to NBC, which viewed the lawsuit, Quigley is accused of proselytizing other dancers and shaming those who had premarital sex, while also discussing lewd sexual fantasies, simulating oral sex and publicly discussing one of the plaintiffs’ virginity.

Lizzo is accused of making “thinly veiled” criticisms of Davis’s weight. The lawsuit alleges that the singer told Davis she seemed “less committed” to her role on the dance team, a comment Davis believes was based on her size.

A post shared by Arianna Davis (@aridavis5678)

The most shocking accusations, however, come from February of this year, when the group was touring in Amsterdam and made a post-show visit to a strip club.

The lawsuit alleges that while Lizzo routinely hosted non-mandatory afterparties,