Ten dancers claim that 43-year-old Richard 'Richy' Jackson uses his power to demean staff 'just because he could' and creates 'a toxic working environment.'
- Jul 22, 2022
AceShowbiz - Lady GaGa's choreographer Richard "Richy" Jackson is being accused of toxic behavior by 10 dancers. Reported to have been abusive, the 43-year-old was also claimed to have used his power to demean staff "just because he could."
"He abused me, he embarrassed me, he made me feel terrible in the workplace, just because he could," dancer Caroline Diamond said in a video. "GaGa was my dream... I chased it and I got it, and she is the dream, and then you get there, and this man makes your dream a nightmare."
Rolling Stone said in a story published on Thursday, July 21 that 10 dancers had spoken out against Jackson. It spoke with five dancers who all echoed claims Jackson created a toxic working environment and what they labeled an "unsafe" and "unhealthy" workplace.
Two of the dancers said it led to them voluntarily quitting what was otherwise a dream job. All the dancers who made allegations against the choreographer spoke highly of GaGa and stressed she "had nothing to do with the situation, as she wasn't present for much of the dancers' rehearsals with Jackson."
GaGa's team, according to Rolling Stone, is now understood to be taking the dancers' concerns seriously and looking into their allegations. The claims came days before the start of GaGa's twice-delayed "The Chromatica Ball" tour, the singer's first since 2017's "Joanne".
Former GaGa dancer Knicole Haggins told Rolling Stone hitting out at Jackson was an "opportunity for things to change for the better and for people to feel that they don't have to be quiet in order to keep their job."
Ex-dancer Sloan-Taylor Rabinor added, "My point in coming forward about this is seeking change. If I can positively impact or save a dancer from having an experience like this, so when these red flags come up, whether it's with (Jackson) or it's somebody else, that they can step outside and be like, 'Oh, I know what this looks like, I know how to remove myself from that situation.' "
Jackson, who is nicknamed "Richy Squirrel" by GaGa, has held the position of GaGa's head choreographer since 2011. He took over from his former boss Laurieann Gibson, who created routines for GaGa's music videos "Poker Face", "Born This Way" and "Telephone".
