Melissa Jefferson, American rapper professionally known as Lizzo, has denied accusations of sexual harassment levelled against her by former employees.
It was reported that three ex-members of Lizzo’s dance team, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, filed a lawsuit against the rapper on Tuesday, alleging sexual, religious, and racial harassment.
According to the court documents Lizzo had pressured her dancers to perform sexual acts on nude performers at a live sex show in Amsterdam, Germany, during a February concert trip.
Lizzo’s dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, was included in the case for forcing her religious beliefs on the dancers. She also allegedly once referred to Davis as a “non-believer” and berated cast members engaging in premarital sex.
Davis also claimed that Lizzo, whose brand centres on body positivity, made negative comments about the former’s ody weight while also questioning her commitment to their performance.
Reacting to the allegations on Thursday, Lizzo took to her Instagram page where she tagged the accusations “false” and “outrageous”.
Her statement read in part, “These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. 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.”
She admitted that while her performances demand “hard work and high standards,” she never intended to make “anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
Jefferson also spoke on the claims of sexual harassment and body shaming, and stated that she was not the “villain” that people and media have painted her to be after the news broke out.
“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.
“I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time” her statement continued.
William and Davis were fired by the rapper on different occasions, while Rodriguez resigned after Lizzo allegedly attempted to hit her during an altercation.
The plaintiffs’ attorney, Ron Zambrano, slammed the rapper and her management for treating employees in a way that “seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly”.
