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Lizzo was at the peak of her success – fresh off a Grammy for Record of the Year for “About Damn Time”, just finished her special world tour – when something hit her: Former background dancers accused her of sexual harassment and fat-shaming.
Almost three years have passed since then, and Lizzo is still fighting in court. Although the 38-year-old admits that she could easily end the grueling legal battle, she made it clear in an interview with Gayle King for “CBS Mornings”: She is not considering a settlement.
“It would be an easy way out, but I’m fighting the case because I know it’s not true,” Lizzo said in the interview that aired Monday.
The lawsuit and its allegations
In August 2023, three of her backup dancers – Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez – sued the four-time Grammy winner for sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.
One of the most sensational allegations: Lizzo is said to have shamed Davis because of her weight gain and fired her as a result. Lizzo, who is known for her body positivity messages, told King she took accusations of weight shaming seriously “because of what I mean to people.”
Last December, a judge dismissed some of the central charges, including the fat-shaming allegation. But Lizzo is still accused of pressuring a dancer to touch a woman’s bare breast in Amsterdam’s red light district in February 2023.
Ready for the witness stand
Lizzo also rejects this accusation. If the case ends up in court, she is ready to testify – she added with a wink: “And I would look fabulous doing it.”
“I’m not afraid of the truth,” she said. “The truth is far less sensational than the headlines.”
The interview with King coincides with the release of her new song “Bitch,” which serves as the lead single from her upcoming album “Bitch,” out June 5th. Produced by Ricky Reed, Blake Slatkin and Zack Sekoff, the track samples Meredith Brooks’ 1997 feminist anthem of the same name as well as Missy Elliott’s song “She’s a Bitch”.
The comeback with “Bitch”
“I think what both women did was push that word forward and give it power rather than take away the power from it,” Lizzo explained.
