Singer Lizzo is known for advocating body positivity and as a champion of plus-size and Black women. So many were shocked when on Aug. 1, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, became the center of a controversial lawsuit filed by three of her former dancers. 

The allegations include sexual harassment, body shaming, and creating a hostile work environment. The plaintiffs, Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis, and Noelle Rodriguez, also allege misconduct by Lizzo’s production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., and her dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, The Associated Press reported.

Before filing the suit, Davis and Williams had been fired from the dance crew, while Rodriguez said she resigned over how poorly her colleagues were treated.

The pop star, known for hits like “Good as Hell” and “Truth Hurts,” has been synonymous with catchy hits with an overwhelmingly positive message. has denied the allegations and hired a prominent lawyer to defend her case. She hired Hollywood lawyer Marty Singer, an attorney who has previously worked with Jonah Hill, Kim Kardashian, and Chris Brown.

Lizzo launched a size-inclusive shapewear line called Yitty and also had a reality show called Watch Out for The Big Grrrls, which aimed to spotlight and cast plus-size dancers. (Two of the plaintiffs, Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams, appeared on the show.)

Filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the civil lawsuit accuses Lizzo of pressuring her dancers to participate in unwanted sexual situations, making derogatory comments about a dancer’s weight gain, and creating a toxic work environment.

The lawsuit also claims that after a concert in Amsterdam, Lizzo and her crew attended a sexually themed show where the pop star bullied her dancers into touching nude performers. Additionally, the lawsuit includes allegations of religious harassment by dance captain Quigley, who allegedly pushed her Christian beliefs onto the dancers.

Lizzo took to social media to defend herself against the allegations. The Grammy-winning artist called the stories “unbelievable” and “outrageous.” She denied the allegations and was upset that her work ethic, morals, and respectfulness had been questioned. She also reiterated her commitment to body positivity and her understanding of the impact of body shaming.

Lizzo, 35, also released a statement on Aug. 3, Entertainment Weekly reported. “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.”

“These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing,” the singer wrote in a statement. “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 statement continued, “With passion comes hard work and high standards. 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.”

She added, “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.”

But the plaintiffs stand by their stories.

“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” the plaintiffs’ attorney Ron Zambrano said in a statement.

Other artists, including Cher and Britney Spears, have been sued by their employees for alleged discrimination and battery, respectively, for example. Cher’s case was dismissed, and Spears oppted to settle her case.

“The sort of workplace described by the plaintiffs lends itself to harassment and exploitation,” Martha Davis, a law professor at Northeastern University, told Vox. “In this case, for example, there were not clear lines between employees’ own time and their jobs while on the tour.”

Lizzo performs at the United Center on May 17, 2023, in Chicago. Lizzo has been sued by three former dancers who accuse the Grammy winner of sexual harassment and allege the singer and her production company created a hostile work environment. The civil lawsuit filed Aug. 1, 2023, in Los Angeles County Superior Court claims Lizzo pressured one of the dancers to engage with nude performers at a club in Amsterdam and shamed another dancer for her weight gain before firing her. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File)