Lizzo responds to 'outrageous' sexual harassment lawsuit: 'I am not the villain'

Two days after some of her former backup dancers filed a lawsuit against her alleging a toxic work environment involving weight-shaming and sexual harassment, pop star Lizzo has responded in a lengthy social media post.

"These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing," the 35-year-old "About Damn Time" singer wrote in a statement released Thursday. "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. 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."

The Grammy-winning artist — who has built a career on music that promotes body positivity and self-empowerment — added that she's "always been very passionate" about her artistry and takes her music seriously "because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans."

"With passion comes hard work and high standards," she said. "Sometimes I have to make hard decisions, but it's never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren't valued as an important part of the team. I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am 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. There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. 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."

She finished the note by stressing, "I'm hurt but I will not let the good work I've done in the world be overshadowed by this," thanking those who reached out to her in support.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleged that Lizzo pressured one of her crew members to touch a nude performer at a strip club in Amsterdam and made "thinly veiled" criticisms about one dancer's weight, among other claims that the plaintiffs said contributed to a toxic work environment surrounding the recording artist.

Representatives for Lizzo did not respond to EW's requests for comment, nor did Shirlene Quigley, Lizzo's dance captain who was also named in the suit for religious harassment after the dancers claimed that she "took every opportunity to proselytize" about her religion "to any and all in her presence regardless of protestations."

Quigley seemingly responded to the suit on Wednesday in an Instagram video in which she told her followers, "God loves you." Days before, she had shared another Instagram video with a caption that read, "Me telling everyone at work Jesus loves them."

Quigley worked regularly with Lizzo, including as a dance coach on her 2022 Emmy-winning reality competition series, Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, which also starred Arianna Davis, one of the dancers who filed the lawsuit.

Amid fallout from the suit, filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison stated that she quit work on Max's Love, Lizzo documentary after she said she witnessed Lizzo creating an "extremely toxic and hostile working environment" around her.

Beyoncé — whom Lizzo has long admired, as evidenced by her tearful 2023 Grammys acceptance speech honoring the Destiny's Child superstar — also seemed to skip the "Truth Hurts" singer's name in her lyrics honoring Black entertainers during her "Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)" performance at her Foxborough, Mass. Renaissance tour stop on Tuesday.

Read Lizzo's response to the dancers' lawsuit above.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Lizzo plays Lord of the Rings theme while dressed as Legolas during visit to Hobbiton
• Lizzo unleashes fierce army of drag queens during Tenn. concert in response to anti-drag bill
• The inside story of how Lizzo ended up on The Mandalorian