The glittering career of Grammy award-winning artist Lizzo, 35, born Melissa Viviane Jefferson, is facing severe contention. This wrath comes hot on the heels of weight shaming, religious and sexual harassment charges against the singer and her team, lodged by three former backup dancers. The allegations have even caused Sophia Nahli Allison, the intended director of her documentary, to open up about her past with the music star.
Sharing her personal insights on Instagram, Allison, who walked away from the documentary after mere two weeks, said, "In 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about 2 weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her. I witnessed how arrogant, self-centered, and unkind she is. I was not protected and was thrown into a s----y situation with little support.”
As the news of the lawsuit surfaced, Allison revealed she felt "relieved" after leaving the project. She admitted that she felt "gaslit" and deeply hurt but had managed to heal over time. Allison added that the bigotry under Lizzo's shadow was an escalated misuse of power that shouldn't be condoned.
Allison extended her support to the accusers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, former dancers who started working with Lizzo in 2021. Rodriguez parted ways with the team this spring, while Davis and Williams reportedly faced termination.
A Hollywood insider in the dancer industry says, "Accusations just don't spring up out of nowhere," indicating that the harrowed atmosphere was well-known among the professional dancers.
Along with Lizzo, the lawsuit also names her dance captain, Shirlene Quigley, and her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. The charges trace back to offensive actions such as insulting dancers, revealing Davis's weight publicly, and aggressively pressuring her to engage with a nude dancer at an Amsterdam strip club.
Quigley, on her part, stands accused of imposing her religious beliefs, particularly Christianity, on those around her, despite repeated requests to the contrary.
