Lizzo has hired the lawyer who represented Bill Cosby for her sexual harassment lawsuit.
This week, it was revealed that the singer is being sued by three of her former dancers, who cite accusations of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.
Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez have accused her of creating a hostile work environment and engaging in sexual harassment among other allegations. Her dance team captain Shirlene Quigley and production company Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. are also named as defendants in the suit.
After Lizzo responded and said she was “hurt” by the “sensationalised” accusations, she has now hired Marty Singer, the lawyer who has worked on recent cases against Jonah Hill, Johnny Depp, Bill Cosby and more.
In his first move as Lizzo’s lawyer, Singer shared a video of plaintiff Arianna Davis that appears to show her praising Lizzo and saying: “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.”
Speaking to TMZ, Singer said: “These do not sound like the words of someone who was harassed or discriminated against by someone they described as ‘THE QUEEN.’”
In her response, Lizzo she was “hurt” by the allegations, which she claimed were false. “These sensationalised stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” she said.
“As an artist I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances 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. 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.”
The three dancers then responded to her statement, saying it was “disheartening” to read. “Initially for me it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated,” Williams told Channel 4 in an interview.
“I think the overall theme in all this is that our experiences were our experiences and our traumas were our traumas. In bringing that forward, it feels like it was disregarded completely. It feels like we were made out to be putting out false allegations when that’s not the case.”