LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lizzo's Instagram following has seen a notable decline amid allegations of sexual harassment and body-shaming. The 35-year-old singer is facing a lawsuit filed by three of her former back-up dancers, who claim she subjected them to sexual harassment, discrimination, and a hostile work environment. The legal proceedings have drawn significant attention, leading to a decrease in her follower count on the social media platform.
In the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, August 1, dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez accused Lizzo and her company Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc of various legal violations, including racial and religious discrimination, and being coerced into touching nude dancers during a live sex show. Additionally, Oscar-nominated director Sophia Nahli Allison claimed separately on social media that she withdrew from directing Lizzo's documentary, 'Love, Lizzo', because she felt "disrespected" during the process.
How many followers does Lizzo have on Instagram?
On the day news of the lawsuit emerged, Lizzo lost more than 14,800 followers on Instagram. The following day, she lost an additional 92,700 followers, and on Thursday, August 3, her follower count dropped by another 47,200 after she released a statement in response to the lawsuit. In contrast, the day before the complaint was filed, Lizzo gained just over 6,000 followers on the platform. As of now, she still has more than 13.4 million followers on Instagram, indicating a loss of approximately 1.14 percent of her followers.
'I am not the villain that people have portrayed me to be'
On Friday, August 3, Lizzo responded to the sexual harassment lawsuit, calling it "unbelievable" and "outrageous." She firmly denied the allegations, calling them untrue. Additionally, she claimed that her accusers had been previously warned about their own "inappropriate and unprofessional" behavior.
The 'About Damn Time' singer issued a statement describing the claims as "false" and "sensationalized stories."
"I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days," she wrote on Instagram. "I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not."
"My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed. These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional," the singer wrote. She added, "With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it's never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren't valued as an important part of the team."
