Lizzo breaks her silence and says she was “blindsided” by the lawsuit

• On Thursday, December 19, Lizzo broke her silence and addressed the lawsuits she’s facing Baby, this is Keke Palmer Podcast
• She claims she was “blindsided” by her dancers’ sexual harassment lawsuit
• The “Truth Hurts” musician noted that she was “dismissed” as an individual from a former stylist’s second lawsuit

Lizzo speaks up.

The Grammy winner, 36, is the latest guest at the Baby, this is Keke Palmer podcast on Thursday, December 19, and spoke to Keke Palmer about the lawsuit she has been facing since August 2023 from three former backup dancers.

In the interview, Lizzo said that she needed “time to process” after the turbulent year of 2023, in which she had her first arena tour Watch out for the big grrrls Dancer.

“I was literally living in my dream, and then the tour ended and three ex-dancers completely blindsided me with a lawsuit,” she told the 31-year-old presenter.

Lizzo claims she was “completely surprised” by the complaint.

“I was deeply hurt because they were three ex-dancers, so they weren’t on the tour. They didn’t want to finish the tour with us. But still, they were people who I gave opportunities to,” she said.

Lizzo added: “These were people who – I liked them and appreciated them as dancers, respected them as dancers. So I thought: What? But then I heard all the other things, like sexual harassment, and I thought, well, they’re trying, I don’t know what they’re trying to do, but these are the things that the media can make something out of that it’s not like that .

Lizzo explained that she was most upset about the sexual harassment allegations, but called many of the claims “silly.”

She added that she “doesn’t regret anything,” but will take this experience with her as she continues her career as boss.

“Let me be clear: I did nothing wrong,” Lizzo said.

In August 2023, three of Lizzo’s former backup dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — sued the “Truth Hurts” singer alleging sexual and racial harassment and a hostile work environment, according to court documents provided to PEOPLE by the plaintiffs became. Law firm at the time.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleged that Lizzo pressured her backup dancers to touch naked performers at an Amsterdam club. They also claimed that Lizzo often shamed them about their weight. They claimed that Lizzo’s touring company, Big Grrrl, subjected her to racial harassment for allegedly “treating the black members of the dance team differently than other members.”

Lizzo later broke her silence on the allegations via Instagram and vehemently denied the allegations against her.

“My work ethic, ethics and respect have been questioned,” she wrote in part. “My character has been criticized. I don’t normally respond to false accusations, but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to address.”

She added: “I am very open about my sexuality and express myself, but I cannot accept or allow others to use that openness to portray me as something I am not.”

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A month later, Lizzo was sued again by wardrobe stylist Asha Daniels, who claimed that while the singer preached about body positivity, she was forced to work in a “racist and sexualized environment.”

“I witnessed myself, the dancers, the backup singers and my local team being harassed and bullied on a regular basis in every city,” Daniels told NBC News in September 2023.

Lizzo also denied those allegations, calling them “baseless and salacious” in a motion asking that the complaint be dismissed. She was removed as a defendant in the Daniels case earlier this month, the BBC and Rolling Stone reported. A judge ruled that Daniels could not name Lizzo as an individual because she listed Lizzo’s payroll and tour company as her employers.

On the podcast, Lizzo said she was “dismissed” from the Daniels lawsuit and that the case was “not dismissed.”

“A judge saw that, and in court he looked at the evidence and said, ‘Okay. We can’t let this happen,'” she told Palmer, although Daniels’ attorney Ron Zambrano clarified Lizzo’s statement saying the verdict is wrong.

“The lawsuit is still very active and has not been dismissed. The verdict was not made for lack of evidence, but for reasons of procedural jurisdiction. “It in no way absolves Lizzo of the outrageous claims made during her tenure,” he said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “All of the individually named defendants were dismissed because of Title VII’s jurisdictional limits and the FLSA’s claims that no individual can be held liable for these claims. Ergo, no individual, be it Lizzo or the person sweeping the floor behind her, can be considered defendants under the FLSA or Title VII. For this reason, Lizzo and her tour manager were dismissed from the case.

Zambrano added: “It had nothing to do with the merits of the claims. The lawsuit against Lizzo’s company, Big Grrl Touring, continues on all claims except the overtime allegation. The ninth cause of action for unpaid overtime was also dismissed.” For jurisdictional, non-evidentiary reasons, unpaid overtime claims only apply to work performed within the United States, and her tour manager will still be deposed in connection with the lawsuit.

The dancers’ case was put on hold in March after Lizzo appealed a judge’s decision that largely rejected her efforts to dismiss the lawsuit under California’s anti-SLAPP law, sources said billboard. The next hearing will take place on January 14th.

“After reporting on Lizzo’s comments during a podcast appearance regarding dismissal from a lawsuit, we just wanted to make it clear that Lizzo remains a defendant in the harassment lawsuit filed by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez that is currently pending “reviewed by the Court of Appeals,” Zambrano said in a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday.

In recent days, Lizzo has been focusing on her physical and mental health. In April, she suggested leaving the music industry. However, she then clarified that it is negativity that she leaves behind.

She wrote in part on Instagram: “What I won’t give up is the joy of my life, making music, connecting with people because I know I’m not alone. I am in no way, shape or form the only person who feels this negative voice that seems to be louder than the positive.”

“If I can give just one person the inspiration or the motivation to stand up for themselves and say stop letting negative people win, let negative comments win, then I have achieved even more than I could have hoped for ” she continued.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.