Lizzo has been accused of sexual harassment, everything we know

While most celebrities are busy enjoying their holidays, Lizzo is facing a much more complicated summer. You see, the singer is being sued by three former dancers who accuse her of creating a toxic and abusive work environment that included several incidents of sexual and racial harassment. Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that Lizzo, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring and Shirlene Quigley, the head of the star's dance team, repeatedly accused them of inappropriate behaviour that led to them being fired or quitting. The news shocked fans and sounds particularly serious and disturbing as Lizzo has always been a spokesperson for body positivity. Lizzo's representatives have yet to respond to the allegations, but it seems inevitable that the artist will face legal action.

Here's everything we know.

Who are the three women suing Lizzo?

Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez participated in Lizzo's show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls and got the opportunity to join her dance troupe. The three plaintiffs performed with the singer from September 2021 to April 2022 at festivals and various performances during The Special Tour. They also participated in the European tour, rehearsals and additional performances in 2023.

The incriminating episodes

The incriminating incidents are alleged to have occurred between 2021 and 2023. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles mentions an incident that occurred at a strip club while in Amsterdam in February 2023. During the course of the evening, Lizzo and his team allegedly "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."In particular, he allegedly urged Arianna Davis to touch a stripper's breasts. When the dancer refused, he allegedly provoked her and then taunted her when Davis consented. The indictment also reports other disturbing facts. After demanding an advance for their work, the dancers were reprimanded by a team member and threatened with dismissal for "unacceptable and disrespectful behaviour" Crystal Williams reported that the star allegedly accused the dancers in April, drinking before performances, demanded they repeat their rehearsals and subjected them to an "excruciating" 12-hour rehearsal, during which Davis, who suffers from anxiety, according to the lawsuit, was so worried about being fired that she stayed in rehearsal for eight hours without bathroom breaks and eventually pissed herself. It also appears that despite her well-known stance on body positivity, Lizzo spoke publicly about the weight gain of one of the 3 after an appearance at South by Southwest and fired her for taping a meeting. The lawsuit states that "Lizzo became enraged, hurled expletives and announced that she would go around the room, person by person, until someone tells Lizzo who made the recording" Ron Zambrano, the dancers' attorney, said in an interview about the body shaming, that "the breathtaking way Lizzo and her management team have treated her dancers goes against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately shaming and humiliating her dancers in a way that is not only illegal, but absolutely demoralising".

The allegations against the dance team leader

It appears that Shirlene Quigley, the leader of the Lizzo dance team, allegedly tried to convert the three plaintiffs to her religion, subjected them to religious pressure and spoke inappropriately about sexual topics. The lawsuit says: "She made fun of people who had premarital sex, even though she knew that some members of the dance team did not share her views. She also simulated oral sex on a banana in front of the rest of the troupe. Spontaneous gestures that made the plaintiffs feel uncomfortable." The allegations against the choreographer also include other sexually inappropriate comments and behaviour, such as discussions about masturbation and sharing sexual fantasies. Quigley allegedly openly discussed a dancer's virginity during the filming of the reality show TV Watch Out for the Big Grrrls and shared this information on social media and in some interviews without her consent.