Lizzo’s lawyers filed a motion last week rebuffing a harassment and misconduct lawsuit brought by a former employee, calling it “meritless and salacious.”
The lawsuit was brought by Asha Daniels, who worked as a wardrobe designer on Lizzo’s 2023 tour, and helped design outfits for the rapper’s “Big Grrrl” dancers. Daniels accused Lizzo and her team of racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination, and assault.
In the filing last week, Lizzo’s lawyer, Martin Singer, called Daniels a “disgruntled” employee who “refused to comply with instructions… failed to perform the spark that she assigned and, eventually, just played hooky and refused to show up for work.” Singer claimed Daniels was “terminated after abandoning her post on the day of a concert” in Paris.
Beyond rebuffing Daniels’ allegations, the filing was largely an attempt to argue that Daniels had little legal ground to bring her claim in California. Lizzo’s lawyers claim neither Daniels, nor her claims, have any connection to the state, as she is a New York resident, who was employed by a Delaware corporation in Europe.
A lawyer for Daniels, Ron Zambrano, responded to the filing in a statement shared with Rolling Stone, saying, “This motion was expected and is yet another Hail Mary by Lizzo’s team to try to shift blame to the victims, as she has done to the three other plaintiffs who have sued her for similar allegations of harassment, disability discrimination and retaliatory termination. Lizzo and her lawyers can continue trying to rationalize her illegal and wretched conduct but we remain committed to seeking justice for our clients, and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behavior in a public forum.”
Daniels filed her lawsuit in September. She alleged that she was “forced to endure sexual harassment by Lizzo’s management” in the form of a 30-person group text that “included graphic and disturbing images of male genitalia.” There were also several allegations leveled against Lizzo’s wardrobe manager, Amanda Nomura (also named as a defendant), which included making “racist and fat phobic comments” about the backup dancers, and rolling “a heavy clothing rack over Daniels’ foot” and “causing serious pain.”
Daniels filed her suit against Lizzo in the wake of a similar sexual harassment and hostile workplace environment lawsuit filed by three of the musician’s former dancers. Lizzo has denied the claims. Back in November, the lawsuit filed by the three backup dancers had its first hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Lizzo’s lawyers have also moved to dismiss the suit, though the judge has yet to issue a ruling.
Amidst all this, it was revealed that 14 dancers, who’d worked with the Lizzo, received a separate settlement in connection to the 2022 documentary, Love Lizzo.
Lizzo’s lawyers filed a motion last week rebuffing a harassment and misconduct lawsuit brought by a former employee, calling it “meritless and salacious.”
The lawsuit was brought by Asha Daniels, who worked as a wardrobe designer on Lizzo’s 2023 tour, and helped design outfits for the rapper’s “Big Grrrl” dancers. Daniels accused Lizzo and her team of racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination, and assault.
In the filing last week, Lizzo’s lawyer, Martin Singer, called Daniels a “disgruntled” employee who “refused to comply with instructions… failed to perform the spark that she assigned and, eventually, just played hooky and refused to show up for work.” Singer claimed Daniels was “terminated after abandoning her post on the day of a concert” in Paris.
Beyond rebuffing Daniels’ allegations, the filing was largely an attempt to argue that Daniels had little legal ground to bring her claim in California. Lizzo’s lawyers claim neither Daniels, nor her claims, have any connection to the state, as she is a New York resident, who was employed by a Delaware corporation in Europe.
A lawyer for Daniels, Ron Zambrano, responded to the filing in a statement shared with Rolling Stone, saying, “This motion was expected and is yet another Hail Mary by Lizzo’s team to try to shift blame to the victims, as she has done to the three other plaintiffs who have sued her for similar allegations of harassment, disability discrimination and retaliatory termination. Lizzo and her lawyers can continue trying to rationalize her illegal and wretched conduct but we remain committed to seeking justice for our clients, and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behavior in a public forum.”
Daniels filed her lawsuit in September. She alleged that she was “forced to endure sexual harassment by Lizzo’s management” in the form of a 30-person group text that “included graphic and disturbing images of male genitalia.” There were also several allegations leveled against Lizzo’s wardrobe manager, Amanda Nomura (also named as a defendant), which included making “racist and fat phobic comments” about the backup dancers, and rolling “a heavy clothing rack over Daniels’ foot” and “causing serious pain.”
Daniels filed her suit against Lizzo in the wake of a similar sexual harassment and hostile workplace environment lawsuit filed by three of the musician’s former dancers. Lizzo has denied the claims. Back in November, the lawsuit filed by the three backup dancers had its first hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Lizzo’s lawyers have also moved to dismiss the suit, though the judge has yet to issue a ruling.
Amidst all this, it was revealed that 14 dancers, who’d worked with the Lizzo, received a separate settlement in connection to the 2022 documentary, Love Lizzo.