Lizzo accused of a “consistency of wrongdoing”

Lizzo’s three former dancers condemn her activism as “performative”, arguing that the “consistency of wrongdoing is very telling.”

In their first UK interview, to Channel 4 News, since making a series of allegations against the US pop star, Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez spoke last night to the ITN produced news show and reporter Ayshah Tull, giving their reaction to the star’s denials earlier on Thursday of the allegations they made against her.

A lawsuit has been filed against the pop star, her dance captain Shirlene Quigley, and production company Big Grrrl Big Touring by tthe dancers. The allegations include assault, racial and religious harassment, fat-shaming, disability discrimination, and false imprisonment.

The three dancers address the timing of the decision to speak out and whether in coming forward and pursuing legal action they have undermined the star’s long-term efforts for inclusion – “knowing her now, it was performative”, they say.

On their reaction to Lizzo’s statement this afternoon: 

Crystal Williams: “Initially for me it just further deepened my disappointment in regards to how I was feeling and how I was treated.  I think the overall theme in all this is that our experiences were our experiences and our traumas were our traumas. In bringing that forward, it feels like it was disregarded completely.  It feels like we were made out to be putting out false allegations when that’s not the case.  So yes, it was very disheartening to read and feel overlooked especially when she stands for what she stands for in regards to women’s empowerment – being an advocate for mental health – being an advocate for body positivity – and to just further prove that that’s not the case, because nothing was acknowledged in that statement.”

On whether it hurts more having looked up to Lizzo for some time: 

Ariana Davis: “It does hurt more.  I look up to the fact she was using her platform to address issues that other artists weren’t doing but knowing her now, it was performative.”

Noelle Rodriguez also on her reaction to Lizzo’s statement: 

“I just think it’s disheartening and disappointing […] It’s shocking to read a statement like that. In her words and the way she’s saying this, it’s invalidating not only our experience that she was there first-hand to witness […] but also other women who have previously worked with her that have come forward in light of this. She mentioned something in this statement [around] protecting women – where was that same sentiment when I stated to her and wanted to talk out things and saying I’m resigning because I feel unsafe, I feel unheard, I’m disrespected.”

Again to Noelle Rodriguez, on the decision for legal action and whether it will undermine the star’s activism: 

“I don’t think so. We’re not trying to villainise her – we’re just trying to hold her accountable. We think she is capable of maybe changing the way she goes about things.”

Adding to those sentiments, Ariana Davis said: 

“A person can do good things, very good things and those don’t go away.  The goodness you put out into the world – it stays there.  But two things can be true at the same time.  Someone that does good things can also do can do bad things and the sentiment applies […] People have been affected, it’s not just us […] The consistency of wrongdoing is very telling.”

Questioning the timing of the decision to come forward and concerns from Lizzo fans that the three making the claims were former employees: 

Crystal Williams:  “I think for me I just want to make it clear that those were not the reasons provided to us in regards to why we were being terminated.  For my situation in particular, they told me I was being laid off due to budget cuts […] I even requested to speak to Lizzo on numerous occasions to which her management declined so that sentiment of her saying it was due to that, doesn’t hold any real weight to me.”

In a statement online the singer said the allegations were ‘false’. However since the news broke Lizzo has lost 123,489 followers on Instagram since the news broke. In the last 24 hours, over 80,000 accounts have unfollowed her on Instagram.

Casino comparison site KingCasinoBonus analysed data on Lizzo’s social channels via Social Blade, revealing a loss of 123,489 followers on Instagram since the news broke. In just one day, the singer’s follower count fell by a huge 88,885. While on Twitter/X, Lizzo has lost over 14,000 followers since the lawsuit was filed in California on Tuesday 1st August. 

Channel 4 News, nightly at 7pm on Channel 4