Lizzo Breaks Silence and Says She Was 'Blindsided' by Sexual Harassment Lawsuit: 'I Did Nothing Wrong'

• On Thursday, December 19, Lizzo broke her silence and spoke about the lawsuits she is facing on Honey, this is Keke Palmer podcast
• She claims she was “blindsided” by her dancers’ sexual harassment lawsuit
• The “Istina boli” musician pointed out that as an individual she was “dismissed” from the second lawsuit of the former stylist

Lizzo speaks.

The Grammy Award winner, 36, is the latest guest on Honey, this is Keke Palmer podcast on Thursday, Dec. 19, and opened up to Keke Palmer about the lawsuit she’s facing from three former backup dancers since August 2023.

In an interview, Lizzo said she “needed time to process” after a tumultuous 2023 that saw her take her first arena tour with her Watch out for the Big Grrrls dancers. “I was literally living my dream, and then the tour ended, and three former dancers completely, like, blindsided me with a lawsuit,” the 31-year-old told the host.

Lizzo claims she was “completely surprised” by the complaint.

“I was really hurt because they were three former dancers, so they weren’t on the tour. They didn’t, like, finish the tour with us. But regardless, those were people that I gave a chance to,” she said.

Lizzo in Los Angeles in February 2024.

Johnny Nunez/Getty

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Lizzo added: “These were people I liked and I respected them as dancers, I respected them as dancers. So I thought, what? But then I heard all the other things like sexual harassment, and I said, well, they’re trying, I don’t know what they’re trying to do, but these are things that the media can turn into something that it’s not.”

Lizzo explained that she was most upset by the allegations of sexual harassment, but called many of the claims “nonsense.”

She added that she “has no regrets” but she carries this experience with her on her journey as a boss who is moving forward.

“Let’s be clear, I didn’t do anything wrong,” Lizzo said.

Lizzo broke her silence about the accusations of former dancers: ‘I’m not a villain’

In August 2023, three of Lizzie’s former backup dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — sued the “Truth Hurts” singer alleging sexual and racial harassment and a hostile work environment, according to court documents provided to PEOPLE by the plaintiff’s law firm at the time .

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that Lizzo pressured her backup dancers to touch naked performers at the Amsterdam club. They also claimed that Lizzo often shamed them with her weight. They claimed that Lizzo’s Big Grrrl tour exposed them to racial harassment when she allegedly “treated black members of the dance team differently than other members.”

Lizzo breaks her silence to ‘clarify’ that she’s just getting rid of ‘negative energy’: ‘I’ll keep moving forward’

Lizzo later broke her silence on the allegations via Instagram, vehemently denying the claims against her.

“My work ethic, morals and respect have been called into question,” she wrote in part. “My character has been criticized. I usually choose not to respond to false accusations, but as incredible as they sound, they are too outrageous not to deal with.”

She added: “I’m very open about my sexuality and expression, but I can’t accept or allow people to use that openness to make me into something I’m not.”

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A month later, Lizzo was sued again by wardrobe stylist Asha Daniels, who claimed that while the singer preached body positivity, employees were forced to work in a “racist and sexualized environment.”

“I witnessed myself, the dancers and backing vocalists and my local team in every city being bullied and harassed on a regular basis,” Daniels told NBC News in September 2023.

Lizzo also denied those allegations, calling them “meritless and corrupt” in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Earlier this month, she was removed as a defendant in the Daniels case, BBC i Rolling Stone reported. The judge found that Daniels could not name Lizzo as an individual since she listed Lizzo’s payroll and tour companies as her employers.

In the podcast, Lizzo said she was “dismissed” from the lawsuit against Daniels and that the case “hasn’t been dismissed.”

“The judge saw it, and in court he looked at the evidence and said, ‘Okay. We can’t let this go,'” she told Palmer, although Daniels’ attorney Ron Zambrano clarified Lizza’s explanation that the verdict was incorrect.

“The lawsuit is still very active and has not been dismissed. The ruling was not made for lack of evidence, but for procedural jurisdiction. It in no way exonerates Lizzo from the outrageous allegations that occurred during her supervision,” he said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “All of the individually named defendants are dismissed because of the jurisdictional limitations of Title VII and the FLSA claims that no single individual can be held liable for those claims. Thus, no single individual, whether Lizzo or the floor sweeper behind her, can be a defendant under the FLSA or Title VII. This is why Lizzo and her tour manager were fired from the case.”

Zambrano added, “It had nothing to do with the merits of the claims. The lawsuit continues against Lizzo’s company, Big Grrl Touring, as to all claims except the overtime allegation. The ninth cause of action for unpaid overtime was also dismissed on jurisdictional grounds , and not because of evidence, unpaid overtime claims apply only to work performed within the United States nevertheless be dismissed in connection with the lawsuit.”

Lizzo in Laguna Niguel in October 2024.

Presley Ann/Getty

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The dancer’s case was put on hold in March after Lizzo appealed a judge’s decision that largely rejected her efforts to dismiss her claim under California’s anti-SLAPP law, according to Billboard. The next hearing will be held on January 14.

“Following up on the reporting of Lizzo’s comments in a podcast appearance regarding her dismissal from the lawsuit, we just wanted to clarify that Lizzo remains accused in the harassment lawsuit filed by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, which is currently pending appeals court review,” Zambrano told PEOPLE in a statement Thursday.

Lizzo has been focused on her physical and mental health in recent days. In April, she suggested that she was leaving the music industry. However, she then clarified that it was negativity that she was leaving behind.

She wrote in part on Instagram: “What I won’t give up is the joy of my life, which is making music, connecting with people because I know I’m not alone. In no way shape or form am I the only person experiencing that negative voice that seems to get louder from the positive.”

“If I can give just one person the inspiration or the motivation to stand up for themselves and say stop letting the negative people win, the negative comments win, then I’ve done more than I could have ever hoped for,” she continued.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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Source: HIS Education