Lizzo is focusing on her well-being, the singer officially declared while on her dream holiday in Bali, Indonesia. Taking to her Instagram page on Monday (August 26), the About Damn Time hitmaker shared a few seconds-long clip of herself standing in a black swimsuit on a balcony enjoying some rainy weather. Nevertheless, the seemingly blissful moment left some viewers confused amid her legal controversies.
Highlights
- Lizzo announced she is taking a gap year to focus on her well-being while on holiday in Bali.
- The singer's weight-loss transformation has sparked both praise and criticism on social media.
- Lizzo is facing legal controversies, including a lawsuit from former backup dancers alleging sexual harassment.
- The lawsuit against Lizzo includes serious allegations of sexual, religious, and racial harassment.
“I’m taking a gap year & protecting my peace,” Lizzo captioned her clip shared to her Instagram page, seemingly flaunting her streamlined figure.
The 36-year-old artist, notable for her body positivity advocacy, received praise as she displayed her refined silhouette. “Oh to be rich and able to take a gap year,” an Instagram user commented.
A person countered: “Soon everybody gonna be talking about how great she looks and how fine she is after they’ve been dogging her about her weight this whole time.”
Lizzo is focusing on her well-being, the singer officially declared while on her dream holiday in Bali, Indonesia
Image credits: lizzobeeating
Someone else wrote: “I don’t care what nobody say Lizzo was gorgeous with the weight and now since she lost it the haters are her biggest fans now and I don’t like yall because it’s not genuine.”
“The body is bodying,” a fan remarked.
However, others pointed to her ongoing sexual harassment case, as a viewer noted: “Oh to be rich and able to run away to the forest and get away from your problems while us poor people face them head-on.”
A cybernaut shared: “Girl you refuse to be accountable to your fans and ran away we’re not gonna retcon it a ‘gap year.’”
A separate individual chimed in: “Whatever happened to the sexual harassment lawsuit?”
Lizzo faced a lawsuit from three of her former backup dancers, who alleged various claims, such as sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.
Last year, a lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles, USA, against the songstress by three of her former dancers – Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez.
The legal action involved serious allegations of sexual, religious, and racial harassment, discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment.
Taking to her Instagram page on Monday (August 26), Lizzo shared a few seconds-long clip of herself standing in a black swimsuit on a balcony
Image credits: lizzobeeating
The lawsuit made several troubling allegations against Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, involving incidents that allegedly occurred between 2021 and 2023.
According to the legal documents, the dancers claimed they were “forced to endure sexually denigrating behavior” and “pressured into participating in disturbing sex shows.”
One of the dancers, Arianna Davis, alleged that Lizzo pressured her to touch the breasts of another performer during an Amsterdam nightclub event earlier this year, and the singer allegedly “began inviting cast members to take turns touching nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.”
Arianna, after resisting, eventually gave in, “fearing it may harm her future on the team.”
Image credits: lizzobeeating
The lawsuit also included allegations against Lizzo’s dance captain, Shirlene Quigley. According to legal documents, Shirlene was accused of imposing her Christian beliefs on other performers and disparaging individuals who engaged in premarital sex.
Moreover, it was alleged that Shirlene engaged in inappropriate behavior, such as simulating oral sex, sharing lewd sexual fantasies, and discussing a performer’s virginity. These incidents were claimed to have taken place within the context of their work environment.
The lawsuit did not explicitly state whether Lizzo was aware of Shirlene’s alleged behavior. However, the plaintiffs strongly believed that the Michigan native might have been aware of the complaints made against the dance captain who has worked with the pop star since 2019.
“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,” Ron Zambrano, the dancers’ lawyer, said in a statement.
Nevertheless, the seemingly blissful moment left some viewers confused amid her legal controversies
Both Arianna and Crystal Williams became performers for Lizzo after participating in a dance competition show called Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, which Lizzo hosted for Amazon in 2021.
In April 2023, Crystal raised her voice during a meeting where Lizzo accused dancers of drinking before performances, leading to a tense exchange between them.
On the previous day, the Grammy Award winner informed the dancers that they would need to audition again, resulting in an arduous 12-hour rehearsal, during which Arianna, fearing the consequences of taking a bathroom break, had an unfortunate incident where she soiled her pants.
Five days later, Crystal was fired, with Lizzo’s team citing budget cuts as the reason behind the decision.
Image credits: lizzobeeating
Lizzo allegedly went on to question Arianna’s “commitment,” which the dancer perceived as a thinly veiled criticism of her weight. Subsequently, the following month, Arianna claimed she was fired on the spot after Lizzo discovered that she had recorded performance notes.
The fired dancer attributed this decision to an eye condition that caused her to feel disoriented in stressful situations. The lawsuit did not mention a specific monetary figure sought for damages, which would cover emotional distress, lost wages, and attorney's fees.
Lizzo has continued to be in the eye of the storm after the lawyer representing her former backup dancers released a contemptuous statement about her “childish tantrums.”
The lawyer’s statement came days after the singer released a statement in April 2024, stating: “I quit.” Her cryptic message did not specify whether she was quitting music, social media, or something else.
“I’m taking a gap year & protecting my peace,” Lizzo captioned her clip
Image credits: lizzobeeating
At the time, the songstress wrote on Instagram: “I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet.
“All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.
“I didn’t sign up for this s**t, I QUIT.”
The dancers’ Los Angeles-based attorney, Ron Zambrano, subsequently released a statement suggesting it was all crocodile tears, as he wrote: “It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself.”
He continued: “Her latest post is just another outburst seeking attention and trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in.
“Lizzo’s legal and public relations strategy is a failure, so she is desperately trying to play the victim.”
Image credits: lizzobeeating
The lawyer also claimed the singer has “thrown these childish tantrums before” and that “no one actually believes she is quitting music.”
The verbal sparring continued as Stefan Friedman, a spokesperson for Lizzo, responded to Ron’s statement and said the attorney was making “wild personal attacks.”
Stefan argued: “With nearly half his case dismissed, 18 independent witnesses siding with Lizzo, and no settlement on the way to get him his tasty contingency fee, Ron has started making wild personal attacks that have absolutely nothing to do with the clients who he is supposedly representing.
“We would humbly recommend that Ron start representing his clients and stop representing just himself.”
Bored Panda has contacted Lizzo's representatives for comment.
"She probably had to step away," a reader speculated
