Who is Asha Daniels? Lizzo faces another lawsuit for condoning hostile work environment
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The singer Lizzo has been sued again! This time it is by her former wardrobe stylist, Asha Daniels.
This comes more than a month after three dancers accused the 'Heaven Help Me' hitmaker of harassing them on the basis of their race, religion, and sexual orientation.
Lawyers for Asha Daniels, 35, a fashion designer who created the dancers' outfits for Lizzo's tour, filed a case against the singer and several members of her staff, including wardrobe manager Amanda Nomura, in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, September 21.
What are Asha Daniels's allegations against Lizzo?
Daniels claims in court documents obtained by ET that the singer, born Melissa Jefferson, supports an unlawful, sexualized, and racially charged workplace culture.
Lizzo is accused of allowing her management staff to make racial and fatphobic remarks, mock Black women, withhold workers' medical treatment, and also forcing Daniels, specifically, to demean sexual harassment, according to the lawsuit.
Lizzo refuted the claims in a statement released in August, stating: "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," per the Guardian.
Who are the other defendants Lizzo's ex-wardrobe stylist sued?
Several people are being sued, not just Lizzo. The defendants include her production business Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. (BGBT), wardrobe manager Amanda Nomura, and tour manager Carlina Gugliotta.
What are the allegations against Lizzo's wardrobe manager?
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According to the new lawsuit, which NBC saw, Nomura is accused of calling the performers "fat," "useless," and "dumb," as well as of making them change in front of mostly white male stage staff members who would "lewdly gawk" at them.
The Hollywood Reporter, which also looked over the lawsuit, stated that there was a group chat with more than 30 members of the Big Grrrl Big Touring crew, "which included Lizzo tour management and Plaintiff."
The suit added, "In the group message, a backstage manager sent a photo graphically depicting male genitalia."
Daniels asserts in the lawsuit that she witnessed Nomura and other managers "discussing hiring sex workers for lewd acts, attending sex shows, and buying hard drugs" when Lizzo's tour arrived in Amsterdam and that she was urged to take part in these activities.
The suit further mentioned, "On several occasions, Nomura made statements and/or took physical actions to threaten Plaintiff and the entire crew," before listing them.
"She threatened Plaintiff and others that she would ‘kill a bitch’ and ‘stab a bitch’ when she could not find her medication. She shoved a crew member in retaliation for revealing she was threatening to quit. Nomura snatched food out of a local worker’s hand for merely attempting to take an assigned break."
Daniels also alleges that she was subjected to a demanding work schedule that included 20-hour stints every day.
She continued by saying that Nomura "frequently denied breaks" and "monitored and policed" the team members who worked under her direction.
The lawsuit also claims that Nomura sprained Daniels' ankle while she was moving a garment rack and that after Daniels changed from tennis shoes to orthopedic shoes, Nomura reportedly made her put them back on.
Why is Lizzo's tour manager named as defendant?
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Daniels allegedly alerted the tour manager, Carlina Gugliotta, who is also named as a defendant, about the "widespread racial and sexual harassment" in which "Black dancers were being mocked, objectified, and denied accommodations" in February.
Daniels contends that her protests went unheard and that she was let go before the contract was up.
Daniels claimed that she felt as though she was "living in a madhouse" when talking to NBC about what she encountered on tour.
"It was totally shocking … I was listening to this Black woman on this huge stage have this message of self-love and caring for others and being empathetic and being strong and standing up for others," she stated.
"And I was witnessing myself, the dancers and the background vocalists and my local team in every city be harassed and bullied regularly."
What did Lizzo's spokesman say about the lawsuit?
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A Lizzo representative allegedly responded to the lawsuit by claiming that Ron Zambrano, Daniels' lawyer, was trying to "sully" a Humanitarian Award that Lizzo is scheduled to receive from the Black Music Action Coalition on Thursday night.
The complaint, according to the spokesman, was filed by someone who "never actually met or even spoke with Lizzo" and is a "bogus, absurd publicity-stunt lawsuit," per NBC.