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Rory McIlroy takes nasty jab at Phil Mickelson over Ryder Cup bet allegations
Rory McIlroy takes nasty jab at Phil Mickelson over Ryder Cup bet allegations
Allegations that Phil Mickelson tried to bet on a Ryder Cup he played in surfaced on Thursday and Rory McIlroy took a nasty shot at the LIV Golfer over it.If Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson were ever cordial, that time has long since passed.When the latter joined LIV Golf and became a vocal ...
2023-08-11 07:59
Famous People Who Have Run Marathons (and How They Did)
Famous People Who Have Run Marathons (and How They Did)
26.2 miles is a long way to go, especially when everyone knows your name.
2023-09-12 21:31
Philippines media guide
Philippines media guide
An overview of the media in the Philippines, as well as links to broadcasters and newspapers.
2023-06-26 23:48
Georgia Rico case: John Eastman surrenders to authorities
Georgia Rico case: John Eastman surrenders to authorities
Ex-Trump lawyer John Eastman is one of two accused in the Georgia indictment to surrender on Tuesday.
2023-08-23 00:45
'Dementia is hard': Emma Heming Willis shares update on husband Bruce Willis' condition
'Dementia is hard': Emma Heming Willis shares update on husband Bruce Willis' condition
It's "hard to know" whether Hollywood star Bruce Willis is aware that he is suffering with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), his wife, Emma Heming Willis, has said in an update on his condition.
2023-09-25 23:46
All of the claims made against Lizzo, and why they matter
All of the claims made against Lizzo, and why they matter
Since her breakthrough album in 2019, Lizzo has been a vocal advocate of body positivity and self love – but now the pop star has been hit with a lawsuit claiming that she weight-shamed her backing dancers. The singer, real name Melissa Viviane Jefferson, is also facing claims of sexual harassment, and of creating a hostile work environment via racial and religious harassment, in a suit filed by three of her backing dancers. The claims, which are not all against Lizzo personally, have taken many fans by surprise. The singer has not commented on the allegations. Here are the details, and why they matter. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Who is making the claims? Two of the claimants are Arianna Davis and another former dancer, Crystal Williams, who began performing with Lizzo after competing on her Amazon reality show, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, in 2021. They were fired earlier this year, the suit says. The third dancer involved in the lawsuit, Noelle Rodriguez, was hired the same year after performing in the video for “Rumors”. She resigned earlier this year. What are the claims? The suit accuses Lizzo of calling attention to the weight of one of her dancers, Arianna Davis, after an appearance at South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in 2022. The singer allegedly told the dancer that she seemed “less committed” to her job. The suit describes the comment as a “thinly veiled” concern about Davis’ weight. Amsterdam strip club incident Earlier this year, the suit claims, Lizzo and her dancers went to an Amsterdam strip club called Bananenbar, where the singer allegedly “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas”. Lizzo then allegedly pressured Davis to touch one of the strippers’ breasts. Davis eventually did, despite being “visibly uncomfortable”, the suit says. A week later, after a performance in Paris, Lizzo allegedly invited her dancers to a club so they could “learn something”, but failed to mention that it was a “nude cabaret bar”. The suit described the performance as “artful,” but the dancers were “shocked that Lizzo would conceal the nature of the event from them, robbing them of the choice not to participate”. Racial harassment claims The racial harassment claim is aimed at comments made by employees of Lizzo’s touring company, which the suit describes as “charged with racial and fat-phobic animus”. The former dancers say they asked to be paid for their downtime at 50 per cent of their weekly pay, but an accountant allegedly declined, offering half of that and calling their request “unacceptable and disrespectful”. “Only the dance cast — comprised of full-figured women of color — were ever spoken to in this manner,” the suit said. ‘Religious harassment’ Meanwhile, Lizzo’s dance captain Shirlene Quigley allegedly harassed the dancers with her religious beliefs. According to the suit, she preached her Christianity and “took every opportunity to proselytize to any and all in her presence regardless of protestations”. After discovering that Davis was a virgin, Quigley discussed the subject in interviews and posted about it on social media, the suit says. When cast members asked her to stop pressuring Rodriguez – who Quigley regarded as a “non-believer,” according to the suit – about her faith, Quigley responded: “No job and no one will stop me from talking about the Lord”. Fractious firings Two of the dancers were fired in April and May 2023. According to the suit, Williams lost her job first, after speaking up in a meeting where Lizzo had allegedly claimed the dancers were drinking before performances. The previous day, Lizzo had forced the group to audition for their jobs again, which resulted in an “excruciating” 12-hour rehearsal. Five days later, on April 26, Lizzo’s tour manager fired Williams in a hotel lobby, the suit says, putting the move down to budget cuts. The suit noted that nobody else was fired in that instance. The next day, Lizzo allegedly raised the incident with the dancers in a meeting, telling them she had “eyes and ears everywhere”. The suit continues that Davis recorded the meeting on her phone, which made Lizzo “furious” when she later found out. When Davis told the singer she hadn’t meant any harm, Lizzo allegedly responded “There is nothing you can say to make me believe you,” and fired Davis. Before Lizzo left the meeting, Rodriguez then told her that she felt disrespected and would resign. As she left, the singer allegedly raised both her middle fingers and yelled a slur. Why it matters Lizzo has long been a beacon of hope for the body positivity movement, and has spoken out against bullying multiple times in public. Earlier this year, she said online videos which fat shamed her were “starting to make me hate the world.” “I’m tired of explaining myself all the time,” she added. She also said that all the talk of her weight made her feel like quitting her music career. Meanwhile, songs including the hit 'Good As Hell' feature lyrics about valuing oneself, which has prompted Lizzo's live performances to be themed around boundless positivity. That is why the claims have taken fans aback. The dancers’ lawyer, Rob Zambrano, said: “The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing.” The lawsuit doesn’t say whether Lizzo knew about the behaviour of Quigley, the dance captain. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-02 17:01
The US is concerned with blacklisted Chinese firm's hand in island-building near its Manila embassy
The US is concerned with blacklisted Chinese firm's hand in island-building near its Manila embassy
The United States has expressed concerns over major land reclamation projects in Manila Bay, where its heavily secured embassy sits on one edge
2023-08-02 18:26
Anne Hathaway 'thrilled' to work with Shiseido
Anne Hathaway 'thrilled' to work with Shiseido
Anne Hathaway has revealed that she's looking forward to working with Shiseido.
2023-08-31 22:15
World Bank keeps China 2023 GDP growth forecast but cuts 2024 outlook
World Bank keeps China 2023 GDP growth forecast but cuts 2024 outlook
BEIJING The World Bank has maintained its forecast for China's 2023 economic growth at 5.1%, in line with
2023-10-02 15:46
Verstappen's third Formula One title caps a dominant season for Dutch driver and Red Bull
Verstappen's third Formula One title caps a dominant season for Dutch driver and Red Bull
Max Verstappen has clinched the Formula One title for the third year running after placing second in the sprint race on Saturday in Qatar
2023-10-08 04:50
Gaetz says he will seek to oust McCarthy as speaker this week. 'Bring it on,' McCarthy says
Gaetz says he will seek to oust McCarthy as speaker this week. 'Bring it on,' McCarthy says
Rep. Matt Gaetz says he'll try to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican, from his leadership position this week
2023-10-01 22:48
Sri Lanka's Theekshana says England 'underestimated' us
Sri Lanka's Theekshana says England 'underestimated' us
Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana on Thursday said defending champions England "underestimated" his team in their...
2023-10-27 00:39