Lizzo was one of the night’s guests of honor at the 2023 Black Music Action Coalition Gala on Thursday, where the “Truth Hurts” singer appeared to be in good spirits.
Lizzo’s appearance at the event comes just hours after news broke that she is facing a new lawsuit — this time from her former wardrobe stylist, Asha Daniels.
At the star-studded, gala event, held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Thursday evening, Lizzo smiled bright as she chatted with other celebs in attendance and posed for photos inside the event.
The singer, who did not walk the carpet ahead of the gala, shined in elegant black gown during the event — where she was also honored with the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award.
In court docs obtained by ET on Thursday, Daniels — a professional clothing designer who designed the wardrobe for the dancers who will be on Lizzo’s 2023 tour — alleges that the singer, whose real name is Melissa Jefferson, condones a sexualized, racially charged and illegal work environment.
The suit alleges that Lizzo allowed her management team to express racist and fatphobic comments, mock Black women, deny workers medical care and forced Daniels to endure degrading sexual harassment.
In response to the lawsuit, Lizzo’s spokesman, Stefan Friedman, told ET: “As Lizzo receives a Humanitarian Award tonight from the Black Music Action Coalition for the incredible charitable work she has done to lift up all people, an ambulance-chasing lawyer tries to sully this honor by recruiting someone to file a bogus, absurd publicity-stunt lawsuit who, wait for it, never actually met or even spoke with Lizzo. We will pay this as much attention as it deserves. None.”
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. It was filed over a month after three of Lizzo’s former dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — filed a lawsuit claiming they faced sexual harassment when they worked for Lizzo, as well as religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment, among other allegations.
In a statement posted to Instagram shortly after those lawsuit made headlines, Lizzo called the allegations “outrageous” and “sensationalized.”
“These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing,” the singer wrote at the time. “My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized. It’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
Saying she didn’t want to be viewed as a “victim,” Lizzo added, “I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days.”
Despite embracing being “very open with my sexuality,” Lizzo shared, “There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”
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