Lizzo is making some progress in a harassment lawsuit filed against her by her backup dancers last year.
The singer found himself in a surprising legal battle in 2023 that also saw him fend off intimidation allegations from his former employees and is now preparing to settle the case before a grand jury.
Court Grants Part of Lizzo’s Appeal in Sexual Harassment Countersuit
A Los Angeles County Superior Court decision handed down by Judge Mark H. Epstein on Wednesday revealed that the court granted half of Lizzo’s request to dismiss the case filed against her by her former dancer.
The singer and her band, Big Grrl, deny “every allegation” in the filing made by the former trio of backup dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez.
The plaintiffs allege they were harassed while they worked and toured with the singer as contestants on her reality TV show “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrls” in 2021 and performers on her “Special” tour.
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Judge Epstein explained why he granted part of Lizzo’s claim and dismissed the rest in a 34-page order, as Lizzo also requested a jury trial. Following the decision, his spokesperson Stefan Friedman released a statement to ET, stating:
“We are pleased that Judge Epstein wisely dismissed all or part of the plaintiff’s four causes of action. Lizzo thanked the judges for seeing through the noise and recognizing who she is — a strong woman who exists to lift others up and spread positivity. We plan to appeal all elements that the judge chose to uphold in the lawsuit and are confident we will prevail.”
The plaintiffs’ legal representatives also shared their plans for the trial, which included conducting discovery and preparing a strong case.
He insisted that the dancers were telling their truth, and that the allegations of “sexual, religious and racial discrimination, sexual harassment, humiliating visits to Bananenbar in Amsterdam and Crazy Horse in Paris, false imprisonment and assault” remained despite the judge throwing them out. most of their lawsuits.
The ‘Good As H—’ Singer Also Faced Allegations of Threats Last Year
Following the harassment suit filed last year, Lizzo quickly acted by filing a countersuit against her former dancer through her attorney, Marty Singer.
The singer released an image of the plaintiff with the cast of the Crazy Horse cabaret show in Paris in March 2023 as proof that the dancers were never pressured to interact with the performers as they claimed in their filing.
In their statement, Lizzo’s team noted that the three dancers resumed their roles on tour with the singer after the Paris event, and that Davis, one of the dancers, even sent in a video to audition for a spot on Lizzo’s TV show in April with desire to follow in Lizzo’s footsteps.
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The lawyer noted that the overwhelming evidence provided by his team showed gaps in the backup dancer’s story, adding:
“Lizzo intends to sue for malicious prosecution after she is successful and has this false claim dismissed.”
The backup dancer’s legal representative described Lizzo’s legal response as an attempt at intimidation. A statement from attorney Ron Zambrano in August 2023 reads:
“Lizzo’s threat to retaliate for malicious prosecution is a dangerous attempt at intimidation and has a chilling effect on all victims of workplace harassment.”
He continued that the singer’s legal team used an approach common in the entertainment industry, which involved “intimidation, bullying and victim-shaming tactics,” adding that workers endured bad treatment as a way to continue to gain access and success in the industry.
Zambrano is convinced that Lizzo’s team is trying to silence potential victims who might want to share similar stories, adding that they are trying to “suppress the truth and hide the hypocrisy of publishing her brand as one of empowerment and body positivity” while she continues to deny women their personal freedom and empowerment.
Lawyers point out that Lizzo’s antics are, in fact, the opposite of women’s empowerment, and she’s marginalizing them. He pointed out that while such inhumanity is a common phenomenon in the entertainment world, it still does not change the fact that it is “morally wrong and illegal.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
