Three of Lizzo‘s former dancers have just come out and accused her of sexual harassment and body shaming, filing a lawsuit on Aug. 1 that alleged the hip-hop artist presided over a “hostile work environment” that went completely against her own advocacy for body positivity.
According to the report shared by NBC, three of Lizzo’s former dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez — have come forward with claims that the singer not only made deriding comments toward her dancers’ weight and shape but also nurtured an environment that made light of sexual exploitation and abusive behavior.
Apparently, during a trip to an Amsterdam strip club, Lizzo invited her dancers to touch the nude performers and even simulate oral sex with them. There have also been allegations of sexual abuse leveled against her dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, but it’s still unclear if she was aware of the complaints.
One of these dancers who filed a notion was Crystal Williams, but who is she and when did she join Lizzo’s crew?
Who is Crystal Williams?
Crystal Williams started performing for Lizzo in 2021 but was fired earlier this year on April 26 after speaking up at a meeting with the singer. Apparently, Lizzo accused her dancers of drinking before shows and informed them that they’d be auditioning again, a day the lawsuit describes as an “excruciating 12-hour rehearsal.”
During the audition, Crystal’s co-performer Arianna Davis was under so much stress that she feared going to the bathroom would jeopardize her job, so she soiled herself. The suit alleges that she was given a see-through outfit with no undergarments to finish the show. A day later, Williams once again asserted to Lizzo that the dancers didn’t drink, to which she gave a mocking reply.
Five days after that, the singer’s tour manager fired Williams in a hotel lobby, citing budget cuts as the reason, though no one else was fired.
Lizzo has yet to respond to the allegations, and the story is still developing, so stay tuned for more!