In a new motion, the 'About Damn Time' singer's attorneys call the accusations a 'fabricated sob story' and dub the accusers 'opportunists' seeking 'a quick payday.'
- Oct 28, 2023
AceShowbiz - Lizzo is asking for a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against her to be tossed. Her attorneys called the accusations a "fabricated sob story" and dubbed the accusers "opportunists" seeking "a quick payday."
The "About Damn Time" singer's team filed a motion to dismiss the case on Friday, October 27 in Los Angeles court. Lizzo's team insisted that the lawsuit came from three women with "an axe to grind" who had shown "a pattern of gross misconduct and failure to perform their job up to par."
"Plaintiffs embarked on a press tour, vilifying defendants and pushing their fabricated sob story in the courts and in the media. That ends today," wrote Martin D. Singer. "Instead of taking any accountability for their own actions, plaintiffs filed this lawsuit against defendants out of spite and in pursuit of media attention, public sympathy and a quick payday with minimal effort."
Lizzo's attorneys also attached sworn statements from 18 members of her touring company. One dancer shut down claims that Lizzo fat-shamed some of her dancers, writing in the Friday legal filings, "I never saw anyone, including plaintiffs, being weight shamed or body shamed. Far from it. Lizzo inspired all of us to celebrate and love ourselves and our bodies as we are."
Another staff member, dancer Melissa Locke, claimed that she spoke with plaintiffs Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez the morning after they attended the Bananenbar bar in Amsterdam's red light district. Lizzo allegedly pressured her dancers to engage with the performers, including "eating bananas protruding from the performers' vaginas."
Denying the claims, Locke said, "They never said they felt uncomfortable or pressured. They were very enthusiastic about what a great night out they had. I remember telling them, 'That sounds like so much fun, I wish you had woken me up to go with you.' They agreed that it was a fun night and told me that they went out in the Red Light District after. They did not complain or sound upset in any way."
Lizzo tour manager Molly Gordon also noted, "When I was at Bananenbar, I spoke with Davis. She did not say that she felt uncomfortable, that she felt forced to be there, or that she wanted to leave but felt that she could not do so. There would have been no question about whether she could leave if she was uncomfortable. I did not witness her engaging with any of the Bananenbar performers."
