Cut-throat lawyers and six more allegations: Lizzo’s ‘sexually-charged’ scandal one week on

This is so messy

9 months ago

It’s been a full week since everyone was left shocked to their core after three of Lizzo’s former dancers filed a lawsuit against her in Los Angeles, alleging they were subjected to sexual harassment and hostile working conditions while working for her, which she denies.

And there have been a lot of theories, statements, legal developments, and further allegations against Lizzo over the past seven days. So, in case you need a full update, here’s everything that’s happened in the Lizzo scandal one week on:

Fans started to think there were clues about the law suit in Lizzo’s lyrics

Crazy how Lizzo’s ‘rumours’ & Ariana’s ‘break up with your boyfriend’ is actually them telling on themselves.

— nomvuyo (@nbmashile) August 2, 2023

In Lizzo’s song Rumours, which reportedly had its biggest streaming day of 2023 with 416k streams on Spotify when the allegations against her emerged, she sings: “Had to cut some hoes loose, yeah, NDA, no loose lips, Now them hoes tryna sue me, Bitch, I don’t give two shits.”

Fans then started to theorise the lyrics were actually about the claims made against her in court. “Crazy how Lizzo’s ‘rumours’ & Ariana’s ‘break up with your boyfriend’ is actually them telling on themselves,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

Lizzo issued a notes app statement calling her ex-dancers allegations ‘outrageous’

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A post shared by Lizzo (@lizzobeeating)

A day after the accusations against Lizzo were filed, she posted a statement defending herself. “These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned,” Lizzo wrote.

“My character has been criticised. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”

Lizzo claims the stories have been “sensationalised” and come from former employees who have “publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional”.

She continued: “I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days…I am hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this,” she concluded the statement before thanking those who have “reached out in support”.

Lizzo hired brutal lawyers who’ve been used in other high profile showbiz cases

Lizzo hiring Marty Singer………..oh brother pic.twitter.com/V3dxRk1mcO

— Alexis “Bring Back Bunheads” Wilson (@sassyblackdiva) August 3, 2023

It was reported last Thursday Lizzo had hired a Hollywood lawyer called Marty Singer to represent her in the law suit. Marty has a long list of A-list clients, including: Bill Cosby, Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Chris Brown, Brett Ratner, and most recently, Jonah Hill.

TMZ ‘obtained’ a video of one of Lizzo’s dancers praising her after the alleged incidents took place

LIZZO’S ACCUSER EX-DANCER SINGS POSITIVE PRAISES TO LIZZO ON CAMERA MONTHS PRIOR TO FILING LAWSUIT! TMZ has obtained a video shot in April 2023, plaintiff Arianna Davis gushes over Lizzo, saying, "It's been so amazing and such a beautiful journey I look up to her so much. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FhPQHLu71J

— DJ Jay Erica (@DJJAYERICA) August 3, 2023

On the same day it was revealed Lizzo had hired Marty Singer, TMZ got hold of a video Lizzo’s ex-dancer Arianna Davis had made gushing about the singer after the alleged incidents took place on tour. “It’s been so amazing and such a beautiful journey,” she says in the footage. “I look up to her so much. I just want to follow in her footsteps, and I just want to share that with the Queen Lizzo herself.”

In response to the video going public, Arianna said: “Right up until the last minute I didn’t realize how bad it was and how much I was being taken advantage of. I just genuinely wanted to save my job. This video further explains how much I was trying to please Lizzo.”

Lizzo’s dancers accuse her of gaslighting them with her response to the allegations

This Monday, Lizzo’s ex-dancers Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez claimed Lizzo was gaslighting them with her response to their allegations. “Her statement is just confirming the pattern of every time somebody speaks up or advocates for themselves, like we’re doing now, we get victim-blamed, we get gaslighted. And she likes to point the finger instead of addressing the issues that are being brought up,” they told Sky News.

“Sadly, we’ve already experienced not only dancers that have worked with her directly, but dancers that are just in the entertainment industry in general, they’ve already come out and they’ve shared their stories,” they added.

Six more people make accusations against Lizzo

On Tuesday, Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez’s lawyer, Ron Zambrano, said their firm is now examining allegations of a “sexually charged environment” and failed payment from at least six more people against the singer.

The additional claimants have said they toured with Lizzo, with some working on her Amazon Studios reality show, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. “Some of the claims we are reviewing may be actionable, but it is too soon to say,” Ron Zambrano told NBC.

Lizzo is yet to respond to the new allegations and did not respond to The Tab’s request for comment.