After receiving a lot of backlash from a handful of ex-dancers filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against her, Lizzo and her legal team have begun discussions of countersuing.
The lawsuit suing Lizzo, Big Girl Big Touring, and dance captain Shirlene Quigley, was filed last month by Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez claiming that they were weight- shamed and sexually harassed by Lizzo. Yesterday, Lizzo’s lawyer Marty Singer told reporters that photos of the accusing dancers have surfaced that should seriously help her case as she intends to take a stand and countersue.
The photos show the three accusing dancers “gleefully reveling” and “happily carousing” backstage at a show in Paris just a month after the alleged night of detailed harassment in Amsterdam. The lawsuit claimed that the dancers were pressured into attending the topless show in Paris, but Singer insists that the photos contradict this statement as they show the dancers “happily cavorting backstage” with the topless performers.
There has also been the discovery of an audition tape that shows Arianna Davis “gushing” over Lizzo. The tape shows Davis smiling while telling the camera that “it’s been so amazing and such a beautiful journey. I look up to her so much. I just want to follow in her footsteps, and I just want to share that with the Queen Lizzo herself.”
Singer told reporters that Davis quickly attempted to “explain away her glowing comments about Lizzo by claiming the ‘bulk’ of her accusations were based on things that happened later.” He continued to say that her “excuse is completely contradicted by facts,” referencing the new photos. Neama Rahmani, the attorney for the accusing dancers, told reporters that the dancers were simply trying to keep it together for the sake of their careers, saying “they had bills to pay just like everyone else but they finally had enough of the abuse. We stand by every claim in the lawsuit and look forward to trial.”
But Singer believes that such happy photos of the dancers from an event that occurred only a month after the Amsterdam show, that is essentially the backbone of the lawsuit, prove that the allegations don’t quite add up.
The lawsuit details the incident in Amsterdam:
“The main event of the night was Bananaenbar, where patrons are allowed to interact with completely nude performers. Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the vaginas of performers. Lizzo then turned her attention to Ms. Davis and began pressuring Ms. Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women performing in the club. Lizzo began leading a chant goading Ms. Davis. Ms. Davis said three times, loud enough for all to hear, ‘I’m good,’ expressing her desire not to touch the performer.”
Lizzo has not made any first-hand comments about the countersuit or any other allegations since her initial statement denying all claims and reassuring her fans that “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.”