Fans were shocked when Lizzo was accused of creating a hostile work environment by
her dancers. But others weren't surprised by the news. From using a disability slur
in a song to "fat shaming" allegations, Lizzo has always had a shady side.
Lizzo made headlines in 2023 when her former backup dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams,
and Noelle Rodriguez filed a lawsuit that accused the singer of sexual harassment and
creating a hostile work environment. The dancers brought a total of nine allegations against the
singer. According to a statement released by the law firm representing the plaintiffs,
the dancers claimed they were "weight-shamed" and "pressured
into participating in disturbing sex shows," among other allegations.
"She proceeded to say, 'You know dancers get
fired for gaining weight. You should basically be grateful to be here.'"
Lizzo denied the charges on Twitter, writing:
"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."
The artist also denied the dancers' claims that she fired an employee over weight gain,
writing that supporting women is her utmost priority. Davis
and Williams claim they were fired, while Rodriguez ultimately resigned.
"This was like supposed to be like my dream job and it turned into a nightmare."
Lizzo's 2022 track "Grrrls" wasn't exactly met with rave reviews upon
its release. The singer used a disability slur in the song,
and received backlash as a result. In the original version, she sang:
"Hold my bag, b----, hold my bag / Do you see this s---? I'm a spaz."
The offensive lyrics caught the attention of those
with Cerebral Palsy. Following the track's release, one user tweeted:
"Hey [Lizzo] my disability Cerebral Palsy is literally classified as
Spastic Diplegia (where spasticity refers to unending painful tightness
in my legs). Your new song makes me pretty angry [and] sad. 'Spaz'
doesn't mean freaked out or crazy. It's an ableist slur. It's 2022. Do better."
As a result, Lizzo ultimately promptly changed the song lyrics from "I'm a spaz" to "Hold me
back." The singer also took to Instagram to announce the updated lyric, saying:
"I'm proud to say there's a new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change. This is the
result of me listening and taking action. As an influential artist,
I'm dedicated to being part of the change I've been waiting to see in the world."
The singer's fans praised her for listening and not being offended. Hannah Diviney,
who originally spoke out about the lyric, took to Twitter in response to Lizzo's statement, writing,
"Thank you so much for hearing us Lizzo and for understanding that this was
only ever meant gently and being open to learning, it honestly means the world."
In 2022, Lizzo was added to the long list of celebrities that Kanye West has feuded with.
The rapper called out Lizzo for her weight on Fox's "Tucker Carlson Tonight," saying:
"When Lizzo loses 10 pounds and announces it, the bots ... on Instagram,
they attack her losing weight, because the media wants to put out a perception that
being overweight is the new goal when it's actually unhealthy. [...] It's demonic."
While Kanye is well-known for his outspokenness and willingness to start fights with just about
anyone, Lizzo didn't take too kindly to the body-shaming. She seemingly called out the
rapper while performing onstage during a show in Toronto, telling the audience,
"I feel like everybody in America got my motherf---ing name in their motherf---ing
mouth for no motherf---ing reason. I'm minding my fat, black, beautiful business!"
"I'm like, Damn this is a big deal."
Lizzo may have chart-topping hits, but not
everyone is convinced her songs are original. In 2019, the singer was accused of plagiarism more
than once, including by artist CeCe Peniston. She claimed that Lizzo's track "Juice" was
strikingly similar to her chart-topping 90s hit "Finally." Peniston posted a comparison video,
claiming that Lizzo's chorus ad-lib was stolen from her track. She wrote in the post:
"This is a clear example of #copyrightinfringement. Cece
Penison versus [Lizzo], y'all check this out and [by the way] I love her music."
Lizzo also ran into controversy for her track "Truth Hurts" by music producer Justin Raisen.
He claimed the singer took a lyric from a sample track he recorded with her. The lyric went:
"I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100 percent that b----,"
In a since-deleted Instagram post,
Raisen claimed that Lizzo never credited him or the other songwriters who worked on the
demo track. The singer then clapped back at the accusations, tweeting:
"The men who claim a piece of 'Truth Hurts' did not help me write any part of the song.
They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it. There was no one
in the room when I wrote 'Truth Hurts', except me, Ricky Reed, and my tears."
The singer went on to credit the line to a viral tweet originally written by Mina Lioness.
Did Lizzo have bad blood with Taylor Swift? Her fans certainly thought so during a show
in Australia in 2023. The controversy began when Lizzo said on Instagram Live,
"The most popular person of today ain't even comparable to what Beyonce is doing."
Viewers took that as a shot to Swift, whose "Eras" tour continues to break records and
is projected to earn $1 billion dollars in ticket sales. During a tour stop in Australia,
Lizzo addressed the alleged feud after spotting a fan's sign that read:
"I chose you over Taylor." In a clip from the show, the singer started off by thanking
her fans for spending their money to buy tickets. She then went on to add:
"Taylor Swift is amazing as well and you don't have to choose because I'm going to get you
tickets to Taylor Swift. I'm just kidding. [...] How [do] you choose me over Taylor?"
The singer then autographed the sign and said,
"There's no competition here."
In 2019, Lizzo never received her Postmates order, and she let her
fans know about it. The controversy started when Lizzo wrote in a since-deleted tweet:
"Hey [Postmates], this girl Tiffany W. stole my food. She's lucky I don't fight no more."
The delivery driver, Tiffany Wells, received threats over
the tweet and ultimately lost her job at Postmates. She filed a lawsuit against the
singer for libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Wells claimed she picked up an order for a customer named "Bonnie V.," but
the customer didn't provide a hotel room number. According to court documents,
Wells made several calls to the phone number Lizzo provided — all of which
went unanswered. She was also informed that there was no guest under the name of "Bonnie
V." staying at the hotel. Once again, Lizzo took to Twitter to address the controversy, writing:
"I apologize for putting that girl on blast. I understand I have a large following and that
there were so many variables that could've put her in danger. [I'm going to] really be
more responsible with my use of social media and check my [...] my pride at the door."
As of the time of August 2023, it's unclear how the parties settled the dispute.
Lizzo is not only a talented singer, but she's a classically trained
flutist as well. The singer sparked controversy over her talent, however,
when she was given the opportunity to play a flute made in 1813 and gifted to former
President James Madison. The Library of Congress invited Lizzo to play the crystal flute during
her concert in Washington D.C. in 2022. The singer tweeted about the honor, writing:
"I'M THE FIRST & ONLY PERSON TO EVER PLAY THIS
PRESIDENTIAL 200-YEAR-OLD CRYSTAL FLUTE— THANK YOU @librarycongress."
Her tweet stands corrected, however, as NPR reported that a former University
of Virginia flute instructor played the instrument in 2001. Not everybody was as
excited as Lizzo about the historic flute playing. One user tweeted:
"Simply desecrating American history just for the sake of it."
Despite the haters, Lizzo was overjoyed at the opportunity
to play the centuries-old flute. According to People magazine, she said during the concert:
"B----, I just twerked and played James Madison's crystal flute
from the 1800s. We just made history tonight! Thank you to the Library of
Congress for preserving our history and making history f---ing cool!"
"My music is all about positivity. The world is ready for positivity.
Um, I just remain true to myself."
Lizzo's backup dancers weren't the only ones accusing the artist of a hostile work environment.
Following the news of Lizzo being sued by her former dancers, the Academy Award nominated
documentarian Sophia Nahli Allison also made some shocking claims about the singer. Allison
took to Twitter to share her story, claiming she left a film project for the artist after
just two weeks because Lizzo treated her with "disrespect." The filmmaker went on to write:
"I witnessed how arrogant, self-centered, and unkind she is. I was not protected
and was thrown into a s---ty situation with little support. My spirit said to
run as fast as you f---ing can and I'm so grateful I trusted my gut."
Allison went on to offer her support to the backup dancers suing the artist and called the
situation an abuse of power. She wrote on Twitter:
"Sharing this because validating other Black women's experiences is deeply important to me."
As of August 2023, Lizzo has yet to address Allison's claims. She has,
however, denied the accusations against her made by her former dancers.
Lizzo may not be the biggest One Direction fan, given the shade she threw at one of
its former members. The drama started when Liam Payne made the claim that "X Factor"
judge Simon Cowell created the boy band around him. On the "Impaulsive" podcast, Payne said:
"From what I've heard, part of the reason One Direction was made was
because of Simon's promise to me that in two years, I'll make this work for you. So,
he kind of started with my face and worked out around the rest."
Lizzo didn't exactly agree with his claims,
and made it known in a TikTok video. The singer said in the video:
"I don't know who lied to that poor boy, but we all know he was not the frontman."
While Payne isn't the frontman in Lizzo's eyes, Harry Styles could be. The two have
been good friends over the years, with Styles covering her track "Juice" and
even inviting her to share the stage with him when he was the headliner at Coachella.
Lizzo isn't walking down the aisle anytime soon — unless it's for financial reasons.
The singer went public with her boyfriend Myke Wright in 2022,
but she met the stand-up comedian in 2016. The two were introduced that year while co-hosting
MTV's music series "Wonderland" and have remained close ever since.
Despite gushing over her man in her 2022 Vanity Fair interview,
the singer says wedding bells aren't exactly ringing just yet. She told the outlet:
"I've known him for over six years. He's everything."
"I am very much in love."
But the idea of being tied to one person for the rest
of her life isn't exactly something Lizzo imagines. She went on to say:
"I am not a polyamorous person, I'm not in love with multiple partners. That is
not me. [...] Do I want to get married? If I wanted to start a business with him,
I'd get married because that's when your finances come together."
The singer went on to admit that her independence is of utmost importance to
her in her relationship. Lizzo also revealed that she doesn't agree with the idea that
marital commitment is necessary for someone to feel complete. She said in the interview:
"We're like the mirror image of each other. We're
connected. But that doesn't mean I was incomplete when I met him."