Lizzo’s statement in full as she reveals she’s ‘hurt’ by accusations from former backing dancers

has responding to a series of shocking allegations about her behaviour behind-the-scenes. 

Three of the Juice singer’s against the star accusing her of , discrimination and false imprisonment. 

The Grammy-winning musician, real name Melissa Jefferson, was also accused of weight-shaming and even pressuring one dancer to touch another performer’s breasts. 

Fans have been stunned by the bombshell claims, particularly as Lizzo, 35, has been an outspoken champion of body positivity having been subjected to trolling about her own weight. 

Two of the dancers, Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams, were hired by Lizzo after competing on her reality show, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, in 2021, but were both fired. The third dancer, Noella Rodriguez. was hired in the same year but resigned in 2023.

In the lawsuit, which came to light earlier this week, one dancer alleged that they were pressured into touching a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam earlier this year and felt that those who did attend were ‘favoured’ by the singer. 

During the outing, it’s alleged that 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’, before she ‘began pressuring Ms Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women.’ 

When she declined, the Special singer is said to have led a chant and goaded her, after which a ‘visibly uncomfortable Ms Davis [engaged] with the performer.’ 

After this, she allegedly pressed a member of her security team to get on stage, yelling ‘take it off’, according to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News. 

Lizzo was also accused of making comments about Davis’ weight after they performed at SXSW festival, and told the dancer that she seemed ‘less committed’ to her role. 

The documents, also seen by Variety, state: ‘In professional dance, a dancer’s weight gain is often seen as that dancer getting lazy or worse off as a performer. Lizzo’s and Ms Scott’s questions about Ms Davis’s commitment to the tour were thinly veiled concerns about Ms Davis’s weight gain, which Lizzo had previously called attention to after noticing it at the South by Southwest music festival.

‘Although Lizzo and Ms Scott never explicitly stated it, these questions accompanied by Lizzo’s statements made after the South by Southwest music festival gave Ms Davis the impression that she needed to explain her weight gain and disclose intimate personal details about her life in order to keep her job.’

In another section of the lawsuit, it’s claimed that Lizzo accused the dancers of drinking alcohol before the shows and ‘not performing up to par.’ 

Rodriguez reportedly shared her feelings with Lizzo before she left the meeting, explaining that she felt disrespected by the move and declared that she would resign. The musician is then said to have responded by ‘cracking her knuckles, balling her fists’ and used an expletive to inform Rodriguez that she was ‘lucky’, before yelling a slur and raising both middle fingers as the dancer went to leave.

The dancers are seeking damages for emotional distress, unpaid wages, loss of earnings and attorney’s fees for the allegations, including sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination and false imprisonment – but an amount has not been made clear. 

Lizzo has since addressed the allegations in a statement posted to her Instagram page on August 3, explaining how ‘hurt’ she is by the claims. 

She began: ‘These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. 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.’

The musician continued: ‘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.’ 

Lizzo went on to explain how she is ‘passionate’ about her work as an artist and strives for ‘high standards.’ She stated how she doesn’t want to be ‘looked at as a victim’ but also ‘know[s] that [she’s] not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days.’ 

‘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 said. 

The popstar added: ‘I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.’ 

‘I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time,’ she concluded. 

Others who have worked with Lizzo have also come forward with their own alleged accounts of their interactions, including an Oscar-nominated filmmaker who accused the singer of ‘gaslighting.’ 

Beyonce also appeared to have removed Lizzo’s name from a lyric she usually sings on her Renaissance tour, but the Halo hitmaker’s mother , writing in a social media post: ‘She also didn’t say her own sister’s name.’