Lizzo was awarded the BMAC Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the 2023 Black Music Action Coalition gala. The award comes while Lizzo faces multiple lawsuits for hostile work environments and harassment.
Earlier in the day, Lizzo was given a second lawsuit citing the star for sexual and racial harassment. The award was given to Lizzo by the cast of her reality show, Watch Out For the Big Grrrls.
“I needed this right now,” Lizzo said. “God’s timing is always on time! I’ve been blessed to receive a lot of incredible awards. But this one truly hits different because humanitarianism is selfless. And to be kind to someone isn’t a talent. Everyone can do it. It’s a gift that you give. In all my years of activism and outreach, I have witnessed at the core of every organization, every movement, every march is just people helping people.”
this is what I do. Thank you BMAC💖 pic.twitter.com/c1KEWT3AQQ
— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) September 22, 2023
Lizzo is firing back at her accusers of hostile work environment and sexual harassment. Lizzo’s attorney, Marty Singer, spoke with TMZ and shared images of Lizzo’s accusers taking pictures with the singer and topless dancers at a European cabaret show. The image was from a show in Paris a month after the Amsterdam banana incident. Additionally, Lizzo plans to countersue her accusers.
Singer characterized the accusers in the image as “gleefully reveling” in the presence of the dancers. The accusers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, state they were forced to attend the Paris event, citing the images as contradictory.
READ MORE: Lizzo Sued by Dancers Who Site Sexual Harassment and Racial, Religious, and Weight Discrimination
An audition featuring Davis after both incidents also has her singing Lizzo’s praises. “It’s been so amazing and such a beautiful journey,” Davis said. “I look up to her so much. I just want to follow in her footsteps, and I just want to share that with the Queen Lizzo herself.”
The lawyer for the women, Nema Rahmani, blasted the image from Paris.
“Of course, they wanted to keep their jobs. They had bills to pay just like everyone else but they finally had enough of the abuse,” Rahmani said. “We stand by every claim in the lawsuit and look forward to trial.”
Lizzo was spotted in the streets and gave an update, stating she was working on new tunes.
Several of pop diva Lizzo’s former dancers filed a complaint against her last month, alleging that they were subjected to hostile working conditions and sexual harassment. Fans questioned the veracity of the rumors after hearing explicit accounts of occurrences. Present-day dancers for Lizzo now provide their support. They wrote in a touching letter that was shared on Instagram:
“We have been so honored to share the stage with such amazing talent. The commitment to character and culture taking precedence over every movement and moment has been one of the Greatest lessons and Blessings that we could possibly ask for,” the post said.
“THANK YOU to Lizzo for shattering limitations and kicking in the door way for the Big Grrrl & Big Boiii Dancers to do what we love! You have created a platform where we have been able to parallel our Passion with a purpose!” it continued.
Ron Zambrano, the attorney representing the former dancers who filed the lawsuit, responded in a statement Friday saying it was “understandable that current employees would gush about her. They want to keep their jobs and maintain access to her global celebrity. But the comments change nothing about the allegations in the lawsuit.”
Since the lawsuit was filed on August 1, at least ten former Lizzo staffers have come forward with similar accounts of being abused and harassed by the musician, according to Zambrano.
“Some of them will certainly be actionable,” he said. “Lizzo’s job now is to try to do everything she can to limit the damage to her brand and save her career. Our job is to vigorously litigate this case on behalf of the plaintiffs based on the facts and we’re confident the truth will prevail over the spin.”
