Lizzo revealed something was making her ‘sad’ days before bombshell allegations were made against her
Joe Harker
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/60 Minutes Australia
Shortly before Lizzo was sued over allegations of sexual harassment and creating a hostile workplace environment, she said she'd had a 'rough day' on tour.
Three of the singer's former dancers made the allegations against Lizzo in a lawsuit filed on 1 August in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Among the allegations are claims that Lizzo pressured one of the dancers to touch a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam and there are allegations that she subjected them to an 'excruciating' audition process, which included what the lawsuit described as false accusations of them drinking on the job.
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Other allegations in the lawsuit include the claim that Lizzo, real name Melissa Jefferson, indirectly called attention to one dancer's weight gain and later fired them, having supposedly said 'dancers get fired for gaining weight'.
The American singer, who has built a reputation for body positivity and calling out bullies, is facing claims that she fired one of her dancers after recording a meeting as a result of a health condition.
In a statement made in response to the lawsuit, Lizzo said the last few days had been 'gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing'.
She said she was 'not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days' and that she takes no cause more seriously than women getting the respect they deserve.
Thanking those who supported her, Lizzo described the claims made in the lawsuit against her as 'false allegations' which were 'as unbelievable as they sound' and 'too outrageous not to be addressed'.
In an interview she did with 60 Minutes during her recent tour of Australia shortly before the allegations were made against her, Lizzo said she was 'having a rough day'.
The programme made clear that at the time of the interview, the interviewer Tom Steinfort was unaware of the allegations that would be made against the singer, but one of her responses could have hinted towards the scandal that would emerge.
Lizzo said during the interview: "Even today, I was having a rough day. I was sad and stuff earlier today.
"And I still feel like for some of reason, even if I'm having a bad day or I'm going through something, people still get good from it. Maybe I'm transmuting it or maybe I'm an alchemist."
Also named as a defendant in the lawsuit against her was Shirlene Quigley, the captain of Lizzo's dance team.
Since the allegations were made there has been a response from fans, or in some cases former fans, of the singer.
Lizzo has lost a significant amount of followers from her social media accounts after the allegations were made against her.
Meanwhile, some fans who've done things to show their dedication to her such as getting tattoos have come to regret their decision over concerns about the allegations made against the singer.
Lizzo said the claims made against her were 'sensationalized stories' which had come from 'former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional'.