Lizzo slams ‘meritless and salacious’ lawsuit

Lizzo’s legal representatives has launched a motion calling for a harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed by a former tour employee to be dismissed.

Asha Daniels, who worked as a wardrobe designer on Lizzo’s 2023 tour, is suing the American singer and her team, alleging sexual and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and illegal retaliatory termination.

However, Lizzo’s lawyer Martin Singer has hit back at the “meritless and salacious” case, claiming it was filed by a “disgruntled” former worker whose employment had been terminated after just weeks in the job.

“During her brief employment by BGBT [Big Grrrl Big Touring, Lizzo’s touring company], plaintiff refused to comply with instructions from her supervisors and tour management, failed to perform the work that she was assigned and, eventually, just played hooky and refused to show up for work,” says Singer. “Unsurprisingly, she was terminated after abandoning her post on the day of a concert in Paris, France.”

According to the Guardian, a spokesperson for Lizzo has called the lawsuit “a bogus, absurd publicity stunt” and alleged Daniels had “never actually met or even spoke with Lizzo”.

Singer further argues the suit should be thrown out immediately on jurisdiction issues, since it was filed in California when Daniels “is a New York resident who worked for a Delaware corporation in Europe… She has alleged no nexus to California”.

“We remain committed to seeking justice for our clients, and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behaviour in a public forum”

In response, Daniels’ lawyer Ron Zambrano has branded the move “another Hail Mary by Lizzo’s team to try to shift blame to the victims, as she has done to the three other plaintiffs who have sued her for similar allegations of harassment, disability discrimination and retaliatory termination”.

“Lizzo and her lawyers can continue trying to rationalise her illegal and wretched conduct but we remain committed to seeking justice for our clients, and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behaviour in a public forum,” he adds.

It was revealed in August that three of Lizzo’s former dancers are suing the singer over allegations including sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. The star (real name Melissa Jefferson) and her touring company face a string of claims from dancers Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, dating between 2021 and 2023.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, accuses Lizzo of creating a hostile work environment in addition to allegations of religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment. In addition, the 35-year-old and choreographer Tanisha Scott are accused of body-shaming.

In October, Lizzo’s Big Grrrl touring company filed a motion to dismiss the filing, which she described as a “fabricated sob story”. That motion is still pending.

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