A war of words has erupted between Melissa Viviane Jefferson, aka Lizzo, and the lawyer representing her former dancers who accused her of harassment. The singer, who achieved fame from Truth Hurts and Good as Hell, announced on Instagram that she’s quitting, causing a big reaction from the lawyer.
It shows how tricky it can be to handle criticism on the internet when you ‘re also dealing with serious legal problems. And, the pop-star is facing a tough time trying to manage both.
Lizzo to Retire After Being Charged with S*xual Harassment Lawsuit
Since August 2023, pop star Lizzo, famous for her body positivity messages, has been in a legal fight. Three of her former backup dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez — filed a lawsuit against her, her production company, and her dance captain. The three claimed that they faced s*xual harassment, weight-shaming, racial discrimination, and a hostile work environment.
The four-time Grammy Awardee has strongly denied all these accusations in a lengthy Instagram post, calling them “unbelievable” and “sensationalized.” In a recent Instagram post, Lizzo expressed her frustration with constant online scrutiny.
She stated, “I’m constantly up against lies being told about me… Being the butt of the joke… My character being picked apart… I didn’t sign up for this s—. I quit.” This cryptic message has made people wonder if Lizzo might be thinking about quitting music.
Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Uncovered Lizzo’s Retirement Statement
Ron Zambrano, the lawyer representing the dancers, responded with a scathing statement criticizing Lizzo’s post as a deflection tactic. He called her claims of being bullied “a joke” and accused her of “desperately trying to play the victim.” Zambrano said (via EW):
“It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself. Her latest post is just another outburst seeking attention and trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in.”
Adding that Lizzo has “thrown these childish tantrums before,” the lawyer added, “No one actually believes she is quitting music.”
Lizzo’s spokesperson, Stefan Friedman, fought back, accusing Zambrano of “wild personal attacks.” They accused him of caring more about himself than his clients. He asserted (via the same source):
“With nearly half his case dismissed, 18 independent witnesses siding with Lizzo and no settlement on the way to get him his tasty contingency fee, Ron has started making wild personal attacks that have absolutely nothing to do with the clients who he is supposedly representing. We would humbly recommend that Ron start representing his clients and stop representing just himself.”
The different statements show how the tension between Lizzo and her accusers is still going strong. The 35-year-old maintains her innocence and expresses frustration with online negativity. On the other hand, the dancers’ lawyer keeps pushing for accountability and trying to settle the legal issues. It’s clear they’re not seeing eye to eye on this.
