Lizzo, who has been the subject of accusations of abuse at work since August may provoke Lizzo to give up on her music career.
Instagram Post
Lizzo appears to have finished her career, according to an Instagram post. “Getting sick of being dragged around by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she wrote, “I’ve had enough. My only goals are to create music, cheer people up, and contribute to making the world a little bit better than when I found it. However, I’m beginning to believe that I don’t belong in this world.”
Lizzo stated “lies being told about me for clout & views, being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look,” and “my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name,” but she did not specifically name the two lawsuits that were brought against her by staff members on her 2022 tour. Under all this pressure will Lizzo give up on her music career?
Melissa also said, “I didn’t sign up for this shit,” she concluded. “I QUIT” followed by a peace-sign emoji.
Criticized
Just two days ago, she gave a moving performance at President Biden’s multimillion-dollar fundraiser. The performance was denounced by the lawyer for the former backup dancers who sued her in August for sexual harassment. NewsNation, which is also owned by Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of The Hill, was told by attorney Ron Zambrano that it is “shameful that Lizzo would be chosen to headline an event like this amid such gross allegations.”
“Considering Lizzo’s disgusting behavior, I can’t imagine why anyone would want her to represent them in any capacity, without getting into the politics,” he added. “It’s just an awful appearance.”
Lawsuit
The lawsuit alleges that Lizzo, her production firm, and another employee created a hostile and abusive work environment, rendering the working circumstances of the former dancers, Arianna Davis, Noelle Rodriguez, and Crystal Williams, not acceptable.
Melissa has denied all charges against her. “This takes aim at her fame, money, and singing persona, as she has been in the public spotlight for a long time. For someone, it can be really stressful to have that disputed and to have to adjust to the new normal of having a civil case hanging over her head. And that seems like a plausible reason for her making this Instagram post,” said legal commentator Brian Buckmire of ABC.
Accusations
In August, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, faced a lawsuit by three of her former backup dancers, her production business and her dance captain for allegedly fostering a hostile work environment and sexually assaulting her staff. During the artist’s tour, the dancers expressed feeling overworked.
They were subjected to body shaming and put into unpleasant scenarios centered around sexuality and nudity. Additionally, their lawsuit said that the White team members got better treatment than the Black dancers. Asha Daniels, a stylist on the same tour, filed a second lawsuit in September. This lawsuit was consisted of identical allegations of “widespread racial and sexual harassment.”
Melissa denied the claims put forward by her three former dancers. In the Instagram message posted shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the allegations were referred to as “sensationalized stories” and “false allegations.” Her attorneys requested that the two lawsuits be discontinued. A judge denied one of the motions in February but agreed to strike down some parts of the initial lawsuit. The free speech protections shielded the assertions of fat-shaming and the execution of a nude picture shoot.
Lizzo’s Work
Melissa has kept working on several of her projects in the interim. She gave a presentation at the Grammy Awards earlier this year and walked the red carpet at the L.A. premiere of Beyoncé’s Renaissance documentary. “I’ve made my own wardrobe, and now I get to be the CEO and supermodel for my brand,” she told the New York Times when she presented her swimwear collection last week under her size-inclusive shapewear company, Yitty. During the conversation, she denied commenting on the litigation. Will Lizzo still give up on her musical career?
Written by Chiquita Street
Sources:
The Cut – Lizzo Says She’s Quitting Music
The Hill – Lizzo lashes out after backlash from dancer lawsuit: ‘I quit’
ABC 7 News – Lizzo says ‘I quit’ in emotional Instagram post amid legal battles
Featured Image Courtesy of Treeforst Music Fest‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Alpha Photo‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
