One of the former backing dancers who have brought a lawsuit against Lizzo has blasted the singer in an interview about their court action.
Arianna Davis, who has accused Lizzo, 35, of creating a hostile work environment and sexual harassment in court papers along with dancers Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, opened up about her alleged experiences working with the star in a chat on CBS News, a day after she and her former colleagues submitted their joint action.
She said about how Lizzo apparently urged her to touch a nude stripper at a club in Amsterdam in February – and allegedly got the whole club to chant her name before she finally gave in: “It’s an understanding in the camp that if you don’t really participate and try to get in with Lizzo, you won’t be booked on as many jobs.
“She won’t like you as much. You’ll be ostracised later.”
She added she and the third dancer plaintiff in the court action against Lizzo were reluctant to attend the raunchy show in Amsterdam but went and stayed in the corner.
But Davis said she was “singled out” by Lizzo to touch the nude male dancer, adding: “She was kind of going around, inviting people to touch the nude performers. And I guess it was my turn.”
She added about how Lizzo allegedly fat-shamed her: “I believe she was trying to allude to the fact that I was gaining weight in a way that she wouldn’t get cancelled, if that makes sense.
“It was not a like, ‘You’re fat, you’re fired.’ It was never, ‘You’re gaining too much weight’, it was never blatant, it was very nuanced… there was this underlying air of, ‘Why are you bigger?’”
Lizzo was hit with more claims about her alleged mistreatment of her employees after the three dancers filed their lawsuit.
The ‘Good as Hell’ performer, was accused in the court action by three of her former dancers of subjecting them to endure weight-shaming and sexually denigrating behaviour – including forcing them to eating bananas sticking out of sex workers’ vaginas during their wild trip to Amsterdam.
More of the singer’s ex-employees are now speaking out in support of the lawsuit filed against the ‘Truth Hurts’ singer for allegedly subjecting them to weight-shaming and sexually denigrating behaviour.
Hours after three of Lizzo’s former dancers came forward with the allegations, her former creative director, Quinn Whitney Wilson, and dancer Courtney Hollinquest claimed they experienced similar treatment.
Hollinquest said on her Instagram on Tuesday: “For clarification, I’m not a part of the lawsuit – but this was very much my experience in my time there.
“Big shout-out to the dancers who had the courage to bring this to light.”
Wilson shared a screenshot online of Hollinquest’s statement to her own social media page, saying she was “echoing” everything that was already said.
She added: “I haven’t been a part of that world for around three years, for a reason.
“I very much applaud the dancers courage to bring this to light. and I grieve parts of my own experience.
“I’d appreciate space to understand my feelings.”
Hollinquest replied by calling her “my sister” and said: “Forever only a few know what we’ve been through … love u Quinn.”