Lizzo and Arianna Davis MediaPunch/Shutterstock; Courtesy of Arianna Davis/Instagram
Lizzo’s lawyer, Marty Singer, is firing again at one of many musician’s former dancers accusing her of making a hostile work setting.
Singer made his feedback after TMZ obtained a video of Arianna Davis — who’s one in all three girls who filed a lawsuit towards Lizzo, 35, on Tuesday, August 1 — praising the “Reality Hurts” singer throughout an audition for season 2 of her present, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Huge Grrrls.
In accordance with the outlet, the audition tape — during which Davis acknowledged that she “look[s] as much as [Lizzo] a lot” and needs to “comply with in her footsteps” — was filmed in April, after the alleged incidents described within the go well with came about.
“These don’t sound just like the phrases of somebody who was harassed or discriminated towards by somebody they described as ‘THE QUEEN,’” Singer advised TMZ on Thursday, August 3. “They are saying {that a} image is price a thousand phrases and right here a video exhibits that there aren’t any professional claims on this lawsuit. We’re assured that Lizzo shall be utterly vindicated on this matter.”
Davis reacted to her audition tape resurfacing by way of a press release to Us Weekly. “After all, I wasn’t going to say something destructive concerning the camp whereas I used to be nonetheless in it. Proper up till the final minute, I didn’t notice how unhealthy it was and the way a lot I used to be being taken benefit of. I simply genuinely needed to avoid wasting my job,” her assertion started. “This video additional explains how a lot I used to be making an attempt to please Lizzo. But it surely was such a poisonous work setting as a result of all through all of the abuse, I used to be nonetheless making an attempt to please her and make her suppose that I used to be adequate. This video was finished earlier than the majority of our allegations occurred, and this was simply me greedy at straws and my final try and make her see how dedicated I used to be to being loyal to her and her camp.”
After the clip started circulating on Twitter, some social media customers additionally got here to Davis’ protection.
“Doesn’t sit proper with me how her group is now dropping stuff like this to try to vilify the victims. Put it aside for the courtroom. This proves nothing besides that, identical to everybody else, she nonetheless wanted a job to pay her payments,” one Twitter person wrote.
One other chimed in: “This doesn’t show something 🤣. She was faking it for a bag 🤣. That is what her legal professionals got here up with??? OH it’s unhealthy for Lizzo😭.”
Lizzo, for her half, broke her silence concerning the allegations — which embrace non secular harassment, incapacity discrimination and sexual harassment — on Thursday. “These previous few days have been intestine wrenchingly tough and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized,” she wrote in a prolonged Instagram assertion, calling the lawsuit’s claims “false” and “too outrageous to not be addressed.”
She continued: “These sensationalized tales are coming from former staff who’ve already publicly admitted that they have been advised their habits on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional. … I’m not right here to be checked out as a sufferer, however I additionally know that I’m not the villain that folks and the media have portrayed me to be these previous few days. … I do know what it feels wish to be physique shamed each day and I might completely by no means criticize or terminate an worker due to their weight.”
After the “About Rattling Time” musician shared her assertion, Ron Zambrano — the legal professional representing Lizzo’s former dancers Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — reacted by way of a press release to Us.
“Lizzo has failed her personal model and has let down her followers. Her denial of this reprehensible habits solely provides to our shoppers’ emotional misery,” Zambrano’s assertion started. “The dismissive feedback and utter lack of empathy are fairly telling about her character and solely serve to attenuate the trauma she has precipitated the plaintiffs and different staff who’ve now come ahead sharing their very own destructive experiences. Whereas Lizzo notes it was by no means her intention ‘to make anybody really feel uncomfortable,’ that’s precisely what she did to the purpose of demoralizing her dancers and flagrantly violating the legislation.”
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Along with Lizzo, the go well with additionally names the Grammy winner’s tour firm Huge Grrrrl Huge Touring, Inc. (BGBT) and dance captain Shirlene Quigley.
