Lizzo In Hindsight

The Lizzo controversy and where it stands today.

By: Andrea Morales

Graphic By: GT Nguyen

It’s been two months since the news of Lizzo’s alleged mistreatment of her dancers hit pop culture. Since then, there have been TV sitdown interviews with the alleged victims, debates across social media, and even notable figures, like Beyoncé, entering the conversation.

Given Lizzo’s established brand, news of the allegations spread like wildfire. Popularly known as a body-positive, groundbreaking artist, Lizzo changed the game for women in the music industry. She represented the intersectionality between being a Black, plus-sized woman in a position of power. She made it abundantly clear that being yourself in any shade, body, gender, or identity was more than okay; it was a superpower.

In an emotional speech at the 2022 Emmys, she commented that she had never seen someone “Fat like me. Black like me. Beautiful like me.” She was the role model missing from mainstream culture, which is why it hurt many people to see these allegations brought against her.

Former dancers had sued Lizzo, her dance captain, and her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., for sexual, racial, and religious harassment. The very things Lizzo had been supposedly fighting throughout the span of her career.

Things got nasty when people began taking sides on Twitter (now X), accusing both parties of being untrustworthy. Since the storm of vitriol passed, Lizzo has been relatively quiet. She posted the obligatory “Notes Apology” explaining her side of the tale, but other than that, she stayed primarily out of the limelight.

Now, there has been an update from her. According to Billboard, as of September 27th, Lizzo has formally submitted a response to the lawsuit asking that it be dismissed. She also included a provision stating that the dancers could not re-file a suit against her.

Lizzo maintains that she had a supportive work environment and “looks forward to proving it.” The dancers, on the other hand, are ready for their day in court to demonstrate their alleged mistreatment. For now, there’s no doubt that this remains a bitter dispute.