Beyoncé Shows Support for Lizzo Amid Dancers’ Lawsuit

Beyoncé recently showed support for Lizzo amid the lawsuit she’s facing from some of her former dancers. THR reports that during Beyoncé’s concert in Atlanta on Monday, she gave a shoutout to Lizzo. It happened while Beyoncé was performing “Break My Soul (The Queen’s Remix),” during a portion of the song where she name-drops Lizzo. “I love you, Lizzo,” Beyoncé exclaimed to the crowd. It has been believed that Beyoncé purposefully left Lizzo’s name out of the song at a previous concert, but her mother, Tina Knowles, refuted rumors that she did so because of the allegations against Lizzo.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Lizzo is facing accusations of sexual harassment and “creating a hostile work environment.” The allegations come from a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court by three dancers who previously worked with Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson. The suit also outlines allegations against her production company — Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. — and her dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley. 

In addition to the sexual harassment claims, the suit contains other allegations as well, such as religious and racial harassment. There are also accusations of false imprisonment and interference with prospective economic advantage. “The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly,” reads a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly by Ron Zambrano, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, “while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing.”

Among the specific allegations are claims that Lizzo drew attention to dancers’ weight, which is in contrast to the body positivity ideals she has always stood for. She even helmed a reality TV series, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, which sought out plus-size dancers for her tour. One of the contestants, Arianna Davis, is part of the suit and claims that at one point Lizzo told her she was “less committed” to her position as a dancer, which is characterized in the suit as being a “thinly veiled” comment on Davis’ body.

The lawsuit also claims that the dancers were treated differently from the rest of the tour crew, and that Quigley “took every opportunity to proselytize” about her personal religious beliefs “to any and all in her presence regardless of protestations.” Eventually, two of the three dancers in the suit were dismissed from the tour, and Lizzo allegedly told the rest of the cast that she had “eyes and ears everywhere,” which seems to reference a recording that Davis made of one of the meetings. The dancers are seeking “damages that cover emotional distress including unpaid wages, loss of earnings, and attorney’s fees.” Lizzo has denied the allegations.