Lizzo’s former backup dancers suing the singer for sexual harassment believe her plan to countersue them is an “insidious attempt at intimidation,” according to their lawyers.
“Lizzo’s threat to countersue for malicious prosecution is an insidious attempt at intimidation and delivers a chilling effect to all harassment victims in the workplace,” attorney Ron Zambrano, who represents plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, says in a statement to Pvnew.
“The scare tactics, bullying and victim shaming coming from Lizzo’s team is exactly the behavior employees face in the entertainment industry who feel they have no choice but to ‘suck it up’ for access and success,” the lawyer adds.
Zambrano claims the “Good as Hell” performer is trying to scare other alleged victims from coming forward with similar accusations.
“Her team is merely trying to suppress the truth and hide her hypocrisy of publicizing her brand as one of empowerment and body positivity while privately depriving women of their empowerment,” Zambrano says.
“Lizzo certainly isn’t empowering women by way of her threats, rather she is disenfranchising them, but this lawsuit isn’t just about her. This sort of behavior is pervasive in the entertainment industry. That doesn’t make it right, and it’s still illegal.”
Lizzo’s lawyer, Marty Singer, announced Wednesday that the flutist plans on suing the three women for “malicious prosecution.”
Singer shared photos and videos with People that purportedly show the disgruntled dancers looking happy after attending a topless show in Amsterdam with Lizzo, which he says refutes their claims that they were forced to go against their will.
“These irrefutable photos and videos, along with additional substantial evidence, prove the glaring contradictions between what the plaintiffs claim in their bogus lawsuit and what is actually proven by the facts,” Singer told the magazine.
“The lawsuit is a sham. Lizzo intends to sue for malicious prosecution after she prevails and these specious claims are dismissed.”
However, another lawyer on the dancers’ legal team argues that Singer “has no legal grounds to countersue on behalf of Lizzo.”
“By doing so, he would actually have to step inside a courtroom and expose his client and her lies to cross-examination at trial,” attorney Neama Rahmani says in a statement to us. “We have mountains of evidence and more people coming forward each day independently supporting the plaintiffs’ allegations.
“He may be referring to the lawsuit against Lizzo as a ‘sham,’ but the only thing that is a sham here is Singer’s media strategy of shaming the victims. We’ll take the moral high ground and fight for what’s right.”
Earlier this month, Davis, Williams and Rodriguez sued Lizzo for allegedly subjecting them to endure weight-shaming, sexually denigrating behavior and participation in disturbing sex shows, according to bombshell court documents obtained by Pvnew.
The three women accused the “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” host of pressuring them into attending the topless show in Amsterdam’s red light district while on tour in the Netherlands in February.
“Things quickly got out of hand,” their suit read. “Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.”
The dancers further claimed Lizzo had tricked them into attending another nude show, thereby “robbing them of the choice not to participate.”
Davis also claimed in the filing that she was once forced to “soil herself” on stage during an “excruciating” re-audition because she feared “the repercussions” of excusing herself to use the restroom. Davis claimed Lizzo fired her “on the spot” after learning that she had recorded one of their meetings — even though it was for the purpose of having “a copy of the notes” the songstress gave.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez claimed that at one point she “feared that Lizzo intended to hit her and would have done so if one of the other dancers had not intervened.”
Davis and Williams claimed in the filing that they were eventually fired, while Rodriguez allegedly resigned over Lizzo’s “stunning” actions.
“The stunning nature of 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 … absolutely demoralizing,” Zambrano said in a previous statement.
The plaintiffs are suing for general and special damages, as well as punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.
The Grammy winner faced an onslaught of backlash over the drama, forcing her to take to social media to deny the “outrageous” claims.
“My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed,” she wrote days after the lawsuit was filed.
The “Tempo” artist called the claims “sensationalized” and alleged that her former dancers had already publicly “admitted” that their behavior while touring with her had been “inappropriate and unprofessional.”
“It’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team,” she wrote, adding that she is not a “villain.”
“I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not,” she continued. “There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world.”
Lizzo also slammed their accusation that she had ever body-shamed them, writing that she “would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”
“I am hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this,” she concluded. “I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time.”
The dancers hit back by calling Lizzo’s statement “dismissive” and accused her of showing an “utter lack of empathy.”
Weeks later, at least six more former employees of Lizzo came forward with similar accusations.
Zambrano told Pvnew at the time that the original three accusers “have bravely spoken out and shared their experiences, opening the door for others to feel empowered to do the same.”
“Some of the claims we are reviewing may be actionable, but it is too soon to say,” he added.
Amid the accusations, several of Lizzo’s current dancers have praised the singer’s character.
“THANK YOU to Lizzo for shattering limitations and kicking in the door way for the Big Grrrl and Big Boiii Dancers to do what we love!” they said in a joint statement. “You have created a platform where we have been able to parallel our Passion with a purpose! Not only for Us but for Women and All people breaking Barriers.”
Earlier this week, Lizzo was spotted looking unbothered as she stepped out for a studio session in Hollywood, where she told photographers, “I’m good.”
