Lizzo is facing a lawsuit from three former tour dancers who claim they were subjected to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. The claims from the dancers list a large detail of complaints against the singer, her production company, and dance captain.
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00:00 Lizzo is facing a lawsuit from three former tour dancers who claim they were subjected
00:03 to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.
00:06 These claims from the dancers list a large detail of complaints against the singer, her
00:10 production company, and dance captain.
00:16 The new lawsuit brought against Lizzo was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
00:20 Dancers Arana Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noel Rodriguez have alleged sexual, religious,
00:25 and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assaults, and false imprisonment.
00:29 Here's A1A reporting with details.
00:31 Charges brought against Big Girl Touring Inc, dance captain Sherlene Quigley, and Lizzo
00:35 are not being taken lightly.
00:37 One of the biggest details from this new report alleged that dancers were pressured to do
00:40 a multitude of things in fear of losing their jobs.
00:43 One included to touch nude dancers during a live sex show at Amsterdam's Red Light
00:47 District.
00:48 The lawsuit states the group went to a club called Benennen Bar, quote, "where patrons
00:51 were allowed to interact with completely nude performers."
00:54 The dancers were encouraged to eat fruit from the performers' genital areas and catch
00:57 choice from those specific regions as well.
00:59 In a statement on the matter, the lawsuit points out that the singer turned to dancer
01:02 Arana Davis and started, quote, "pressuring Ms. Davis to touch the breasts of one of the
01:06 nude women performing at the club."
01:08 One lawsuit statement claims, quote, "how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily
01:12 autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of those she
01:16 employed."
01:17 In another situation, plaintiffs allege Lizzo invited the entire dance team out without
01:21 telling them they would be attending a nude cabaret bar, quote, "robbing them of the
01:25 choice not to participate."
01:26 In another instance, dance captain Quigley, who also doubled as a judge on Lizzo's reality
01:30 show Watch Out for the Big Girls, was accused of pushing her Christian beliefs onto dancers.
01:35 According to the suit, Quigley discovered that one of the dancers on the team was a
01:38 virgin and routinely discussed the subject in interviews and posted personal details
01:42 about the matter on social media.
01:44 As far as other accusations toward Lizzo, one dancer was accused of not being committed
01:47 to her role after gaining weight.
01:49 Many claim this goes against everything Lizzo stands for publicly with this loaded allegation.
01:53 The lawsuit states, quote, "Although Lizzo and Ms. Scott never explicitly stated it,
01:57 these questions, accompanied by Lizzo's statements made after the South by Southwest
02:00 music festival, gave Ms. Davis the impression that she needed to explain her weight gain
02:05 and disclose intimate personal details about her life in order to keep her job."
02:08 In the suit, dancer Crystal Williams also details she was fired from the job when she
02:12 spoke up at a meeting in which she challenged a claim from Lizzo stating that dancers were
02:16 drinking before performances.
02:18 Just the day before, Lizzo had also told the group they would have to re-audition for a
02:21 dance team.
02:22 During a 12-hour rehearsal, dancer Arana Davis soiled her pants due to fear she would lose
02:26 her job if she took a break.
02:27 Crystal Williams claims she was fired just five days after the long rehearsal due to,
02:31 quote, "budget cuts," but no one else was fired.
02:33 Arana Davis later recorded a team meeting on her phone to take notes about dance routines,
02:37 but this later made Lizzo, quote, "furious."
02:39 The singer and dance captain later berated Davis, to which she was fired on the spot.
02:43 Colleague Noelle Rodriguez stated she felt disrespected from the incident and wanted
02:46 to resign.
02:47 Lizzo allegedly raised both her middle fingers and yelled slurs as the dancers left.
02:51 We'll keep you updated on this story, more out with Trending.
02:53 [Whooshing sounds]
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