Was Lizzo's statement 'hypocritical'? Dancers say singer's response to their sexual harassment lawsuit 'felt like a punch'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The three dancers who sued Lizzo for weight shaming and sexual harassment, have spoken out after the singer released a statement in response to their accusations. The trio — Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis, and Noelle Rodriguez — said that 'Juice' hitmaker showed a "lack of empathy." The lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, August 1, against the singer, her production business Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and her dance team leader Shirlene Quigley.
In an interview with 'Good Morning America' on Friday, August 4, Davis, Williams, and Rodriguez called the 35-year-old pop diva "fat-phobic" and claimed that her response to their lawsuit was "hypocritical" and "felt like a punch," per the Daily Mail. The singer put out a long statement on Instagram on August 3, claiming the allegations against her were "too outrageous not to address."
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Was Lizzo's statement 'hypocritical'?
Speaking on 'Good Morning America,' Davis reportedly said, "I know it's alarming to hear that Lizzo, a plus size woman who preaches body positivity, would be fat-phobic, essentially. But I want to challenge people to understand that hurt people hurt people." Davis recalled Lizzo telling her she was worried about her after she had put on weight. "My demeanor was the same, my energy was the same, my dance ability was the same. It was the first time I had showed up noticeably having gained weight, and she said that she was worried about me. I can only contribute that to my weight gain," Davis said.
Williams said, "You can see a public figure and all you know about them is what they present to you when the cameras are on and the cameras are rolling." She said that it was "sad" that they "didn't get acknowledgment of our feelings" given that Lizzo's brand "preaches about women empowerment." She claimed that Lizzo's response was inconsistent with her principles and was hypocritical. They also addressed Lizzo's denial of the allegations in her Instagram response to their lawsuit, to which Davis said, "This post felt like a punch."
"I'm honestly mind blown at the hypocrisy just of everything that you stand for. You're contradicting right before our very eyes," Williams further said, adding, "For the many women that have - because it's mainly women - that have come forward and said they felt the same, or have shared their stories with us because they don't want to publicly share it yet, it completely kind of invalidates all of our experience and our trauma and our pain."
'Basically started to ball up her fists'
Rodriguez revealed the alleged threat Lizzo made to her after she expressed her desire to resign because she felt "unsafe" and "disrespected." She said, "She basically started to ball up her fists and crack her knuckles, and she was like "You're so effin lucky right now" as she's like inching her way towards me," adding that Lizzo's friend had to physically restrain her due to her response to Rodriguez.
Davis' eyes welled up as she recalled the time Lizzo allegedly forced her to touch a naked performer at a sex show in Amsterdam. Davis said, "I briefly touched the performer and withdrew my hands, and you know, everyone kind of burst into laughter 'cause me of all people they thought it was funny that I was touching this performer. I even remember making jokes about it because I just was trying to get the attention away from me."
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Davis said, "We're here because we want to be good enough for Lizzo," in response to the interviewer's query as to why she could not have left sooner. The dancers stated they also constantly felt like their jobs were in jeopardy. While Davis and Williams were fired, Rodriguez quit due to what she alleged was a response to the duo's alleged treatment.
In another incident, the trio alleged Lizzo invited them to a club in Paris without disclosing that it was a nudist cabaret bar. The dancers were "shocked" and said Lizzo "robbed them of the choice not to participate," per the lawsuit. The 'Good As Hell' singer has lost more than 120,000 Instagram followers since the lawsuit. Quinn Whitney Wilson, a former creative director for Lizzo, and Courtney Hollinquest, a dancer, both reportedly said that they were mistreated the same way just hours after the lawsuit was made public.