Lizzo’s “Big Grrl” and “Big Boiii” dancers have written an open letter in support of the singer who is facing a lawsuit from three of her former dancers.
The statement, which thanked Lizzo for “[creating] a platform where we have been able to parallel our Passion with a purpose,” was posted to the Big Grrl’s official social media account on Thursday afternoon.
“We had the time of our lives on The Special Tour. We have been so honored to share the stage with such amazing talent,” the letter stated. “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 could ask for.”
The letter comes just as Lizzo’s Special Tour is set to wrap on July 30, after having first launched last September with a string of arena dates across the U.S. The letter praises Lizzo for “shattering limitations and kicking in the door way for the Big Grrrl & Big Boiii Dancers to do what we love… Not only for Us, but for Woman and All people breaking barriers,” the letter continued.
A few weeks ago, news of the lawsuit broke with grim details accusing the Grammy award winner of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. The accusations come from three dancers — plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — who all participated in Lizzo’s Amazon reality show “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” a competition show that gave dancers the opportunity to join Lizzo on tour.
They’ve alleged sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment, among a slew of other charges.
“Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed,” the complaint reads.
Days after the lawsuit was made public, Lizzo addressed the allegations in an open letter of her own: “These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized… Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed. These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”
Things seemingly worsened for Lizzo when Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison said she worked with Lizzo several years ago, and alleged that she was “treated with such disrespect” by Lizzo. “My spirit said to run as fast as you fucking can and I’m so grateful I trusted by gut. I felt gaslit and was deeply hurt but I’ve healed.”
Since then, artists including Grimes have been vocal about their support for Lizzo; the most recent being Beyoncé, who exclaimed “I love you, Lizzo!” during her performance of “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)” in Foxborough, Mass.
