Grammy award-winning singer Lizzo has been named in a second lawsuit in as many months, this one alleging bullying, harassment, and racism. The suit was filed today (September 21) by former fashion designer on her team, Asha Daniels.
Daniels told NBC News that the working environment on Lizzo’s team was “totally shocking.” She said that despite the singer’s message of self-love and care for others on stage, she and other dancers were regularly subjected to harassment and bullying. Daniels’ lawsuit claims that Lizzo’s wardrobe manager Amanda Nomura referred to dancers as “fat”, “useless” and “dumb”, and that Daniels was fired after complaining. Furthermore, it alleges that Nomura would make dancers change in front of a largely white and male crew in a way that was “lewd”.
Daniels’ lawyer Ron Zambrano said, “Lizzo is the boss, so the buck stops with her.” The singer’s team responded with a statement calling the lawsuit “a bogus, absurd publicity-stunt” from someone who had “never actually met or even spoken with Lizzo.” They said they would pay the lawsuit “as much attention as it deserves. None.”
This lawsuit comes just weeks after three former backup dancers for Lizzo accused her of creating a hostile work environment and engaging in sexual harassment. Lizzo’s lawyer responded to this lawsuit with a statement saying that they would be suing the dancers for “malicious prosecution” if the allegations were dismissed. The dancers responded to this statement, saying that they had tried to settle the disagreement “in-house” before filing the lawsuit.
The lawsuits come as Lizzo continues to grow in popularity, recently performing in Sydney, Australia in July. As more information comes to light, fans will be eager to see how the singer handles the accusations.
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