Lizzo and her wardrobe manager sued by former employee alleging harassment, hostile work environment
Lizzo was hit with another lawsuit from a former employee alleging harassment and racial discrimination hours before she was set to receive an award for her philanthropic work and commitment to social justice.
The suit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses the singer and people who worked on Lizzo's The Special Tour for alleged sexual and racial harassment, disability discrimination and creating a hostile work environment.
Clothing designer Asha Daniels, who designed custom pieces for Lizzo's dancers last year, listed the singer, real name Melissa Jefferson, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., her wardrobe manager Amanda Nomura and her tour manager Carlina Gugliotta as defendants in the lawsuit, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
"(Daniels) believes the following experiences of degradation, forced physical labor, denial of medical care, sexual harassment, and racial harassment were allowed to take place by Lizzo's management without consequence because she is a Black woman," the lawsuit reads.
Context on Lizzo's previous lawsuit:Singer sued for 'demoralizing' weight shaming, sexual harassment
Additionally, according to Daniels' suit, she was forced to hear "racist and fatphobic comments from Nomura" and witnessed her "mock both Lizzo and Lizzo's background dancers on multiple occasions."
The suit adds that the wardrobe manager would "imitate the dancers and Lizzo by doing an offensive stereotypical impression of a Black woman. Normura would also refer to Black women on the tour as 'dumb,' 'useless,' and 'fat.'"
Thursday's lawsuit was filed ahead of Lizzo receiving the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the Black Music Coalition Gala in Beverly Hills, California. Lizzo is expected to attend to accept the award.
"As Lizzo receives a Humanitarian Award tonight from the Black Music Action Coalition for the incredible charitable work she has done to lift up all people, an ambulance-chasing lawyer tries to sully this honor by recruiting someone to file a bogus, absurd publicity-stunt lawsuit who, wait for it, never actually met or even spoke with Lizzo," Stefan Friedman, a spokesperson for Lizzo, told USA TODAY. "We will pay this as much attention as it deserves. None."
USA TODAY has reached out to the Black Music Coalition for comment.
More:Lizzo responds to lawsuit from former dancers, denies weight shaming, assault allegations
Lizzo accused of creating 'sexualized and racially charged environment'
Daniels joined The Special Tour earlier this year to alter and repair dancers' clothing, according to the suit. Most of the accusations involved Nomura, who had allegedly asked Daniels to join the tour and was her supervisor.
"Lizzo is the boss so the buck stops with her," Daniels' attorney, Ron Zambrano, said in a statement Thursday. "She has created a sexualized and racially charged environment on her tours that her management staff sees as condoning such behavior, and so it continues unchecked."
The attorney also represents Lizzo's former dancers, who sued the singer and her associates in August for allegedly pressuring and weight shaming them. In that lawsuit, plaintiffs Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez claimed they were victims of sexual, racial and religious harassment, assault, false imprisonment and disability discrimination, in addition to other allegations.
Zambrano concluded, "Lizzo certainly knows what's going on but chooses not to put an end to this disgusting and illegal conduct and participates herself."
Lizzo denied all allegations detailed in the August lawsuit, writing in an Instagram post, "I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight."
"My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized," Lizzo wrote. The singer said she typically doesn't address "false allegations," but "these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed."
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