Three backup dancers suing pop star Lizzo for alleged sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment say the singer “continues to blame everyone else” while she is “desperately trying to play the victim.”
The dancers issued a statement through their attorney in response to Lizzo’s Friday Instagram post, in which the “Truth Hurts” singer lamented the criticism she has received and claimed “the world doesn’t want me in it,” adding, “I quit.”
“It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself,” the dancers’ attorney Ron Zambrano said in a statement, according to a report by Entertainment Weekly.
“Her latest post is just another outburst seeking attention and trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in,” Zambrano continued. “Lizzo’s legal and public relations strategy is a failure, so she is desperately trying to play the victim.”
The attorney added that the “Rumors” singer has “thrown these childish tantrums before,” and “No one actually believes she is quitting music.”
Lizzo “can make all of this go away simply by seizing the opportunity here to set an example, own up to her mistakes, pay what’s due to those she’s wronged and work on becoming a better person,” Zambrano said.
While Lizzo did not clarify whether she wanted to quit music or simply get off social media, the singer has previously flirted with the idea of stepping away from her career, saying in June that she was contemplating “giving up” and “quitting” music over body-shaming tweets.
Stefan Friedman, a spokesperson for Lizzo, responded to Zambrano’s recent statement, telling Entertainment Weekly, “With nearly half his case dismissed, 18 independent witnesses siding with Lizzo and no settlement on the way to get him his tasty contingency fee, Ron has started making wild personal attacks that have absolutely nothing to do with the clients who he is supposedly representing.”
“We would humbly recommend that Ron start representing his clients and stop representing just himself,” Friedman added.
The Grammy-winning pop star, who has built her platform in part by celebrating obesity, has been embroiled in controversy since last summer, when her former dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against her.
The three former dancers are also suing Lizzo’s production company and the singer’s dance captain for alleged sexual harassment, weight-shaming, racial discrimination, and creating a toxic workplace environment.
Lizzo has denied the allegations, which she called “unbelievable” and “outrageous.”
“These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” the singer said.
Earlier this year, a Los Angeles judge denied Lizzo’s attempt to have the lawsuit against her dismissed, including one of the former dancer’s claims of being fat-shamed while on tour with the singer who describes herself as an advocate of “body positivity.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.