LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, the three former dancers who sued pop star Lizzo over allegations of alleged sexual harassment, weight-shaming, and creating a hostile work environment responded to the latter's statement regarding the accusations. Speaking to ET News, the accusers claimed that the 'Juice' hitmaker attempted to allegedly "gaslight" them by saying that the allegations are "false," "outrageous" and "sensationalized."
Lizzo found herself in the middle of a major controversy after her ex-dancers accused her of alleged sexual harassment, religious, racial, and disability discrimination, false imprisonment, and body shaming, among other claims, as per court documents obtained by ET. After maintaining initial silence amid a major backlash, the rapper eventually took to social media to issue a statement about the situation and denied the allegations made against her.
'We were constantly being gaslit'
In the wake of Lizzo's statement, Williams spoke to ET's Denny Directo and said that she believes the rapper is allegedly attempting to gaslight her and the other two accusers. "I think for me; it's just very interesting to be so open and genuine about the trauma that we experienced and to be open about the hurt that she caused us, for her to [respond back by] essentially gaslighting us," Williams said.
"She never acknowledged any of the claims [directly] that we have brought forward to the table. And so for it to be met with that, it just kind of solidifies the pattern that every time we bring up an issue, every time we advocate for ourselves, every time we speak up for ourselves, we're met with retaliation instead of 'OK, you experienced this. As an artist and what I represent, I don't want you to feel like I don't care about you. I don't want you to feel like I don't want to include you. I don't want you to feel like I'm body-shaming you. If this is what you're feeling, I might completely disagree with you but, I can at least try to hear you out to see how we can go moving forward,'" she continued.
"But we weren't met with that," Williams stated. "We were constantly being gaslit, and she's constantly deflecting. So it just further proves our point and solidifies the claims that we're making," she added. During the interview, Davis also shared her response to Lizzo's statement. She addressed people who are doubtful about the allegations and said, "I know that it's outrageous to hear this, I know Lizzo said it herself; it's outrageous. It's so outrageous to not address." Davis further asked critics to take a moment to "put yourself in our shoes."
"We have trained our entire lives to be a dancer, we train like athletes but we also have to have the creative freedom of an artist and then we are seen in this industry as people who don't even deserve to be paid for what they do. It's hard, we fight tooth and nail to get paid. It's a whole thing," she continued. "So imagine that and then being put in this environment and your hero, or someone you looked up to, not being who they say they are but then continuing to be looked at as this amazing person and knowing that it's all performative," Davis added.
The backup dancer also mentioned that being silenced is the "most excruciating pain" and asked the public to consider her situation "a grown woman that was pushed to the point of going to the bathroom [on] myself in the middle of a rehearsal." "You have to think to yourself, how much abuse did it take to get there? "So I mean, just take a moment and put yourselves in our shoes and please just have empathy," Davis requested. The accusers' attorney, Ron Zambrano, also told the outlet that Lizzo's statement is both a public admission supporting the ex-dancers' claims as well as a "failed defense."
"Part of her statement [was] like, 'You know [I'm] very open about my sexuality,' which I thought that was an odd thing to say when you're talking about allegations [concerning] such blatant sexual conduct. So it's kind of she's [saying], 'Listen, I'm sexual and I told you about it, so you have to deal with it,' right? It's about her," he said. "And I also think it's a failure because she had the opportunity to be like, 'My brand is about inclusivity [and] empathy, and I empathize with these women's feelings even though I disagree with our versions of the same event,'" Zambrano pointed out.
What did Lizzo say in her statement?
In her statement, Lizzo said that the "last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing." She said that the allegations have questioned her "work ethics, morals, and respectfulness" and placed her "character" under criticism. The rapper said she usually does not respond to "false allegations" but decided to address the situation as the accusations made by her former dancers are "unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed."
The 'Rumors' singer further dubbed the allegations as "sensationalized stories" from "former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional." Lizzo further mentioned that she is "passionate" about her work and "with passion comes hard work and high standards." She admitted that while her work compels her to make "hard decisions" at times, she never intended to "make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team."
The rapper further stated, "I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days. 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." She continued, "There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. 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."
Lizzo concluded her statement by saying she is "hurt" but she will not let her good work be "overshadowed" by the allegations. "I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time," she said at the end of the post. According to ET, Davis, Williams, and Rodriguez are seeking damages, including unpaid wages, loss of earnings, deferred compensation, employment benefit, emotional distress, medical expenses, and attorneys' fees.
