BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Beyonce seemed to have a change of heart about Lizzo as she performed her song 'Break My Soul' at a concert in Boston on Tuesday. The song, which is a tribute to Black women in the entertainment industry, normally features Lizzo’s name among other icons like Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill and Nicki Minaj.
However, Beyonce's multiple videos circulated appeared to skip over Lizzo’s name and instead repeated Erykah Badu’s name four times, even though Lizzo’s name was still displayed on the screen behind her. The apparent snub came on the same day that Lizzo was sued by three former dancers who accused her of creating a hostile work environment, fat shaming and harassing them while they were part of her dance team.
Why did Beyonce snub Lizzo?
The lawsuit alleges that Lizzo encouraged one of the dancers to “take turns touching the nude performers” at a club in Amsterdam’s red light district during a tour in February. Another dancer claims that Lizzo questioned her commitment and expressed concerns about her “weight gain” making her feel pressured to disclose personal details about her life as reported by NBC.
Lizzo, who is known for her uplifting messages and body positivity advocacy, has not commented on the lawsuit or Beyonce's omission of her name. In June, she posted a video of herself on Instagram watching Beyoncé perform 'Break My Soul' at a previous show saying: “I think of what we all mean to people and how cyclical it is. We are all so infinitesimally and maximally connected and significant. It’s an honor. Thank You Beyonce.”
It remains unclear if it was exclusively related to Lizzo'z lawsuit
It is unclear why Beyonce decided to remove Lizzo’s name from the song at the last minute, or whether it was related to the lawsuit. Some fans speculated that Beyonce was showing solidarity with the dancers, while others suggested that she was distancing herself from the controversy. Beyonce has not explained her decision or addressed the issue publicly.
Some people have suggested that Beyonce was showing solidarity with the three former dancers who sued Lizzo earlier that day for alleged harassment and a hostile work environment CNN reported.
'I guess I’m everybody’s stylist'
Others have speculated that Beyonce was distancing herself from Lizzo after Erykah Badu accused her of copying her style. On Sunday, Badu posted a photo of herself and Beyonce wearing similar chrome-brimmed hats on her Instagram story, with the caption: "Hmmm. I guess I’m everybody’s stylist".
