Since releasing her fifth album in early June, the pop star Lizzo has been on one thing of a tear.
After reaching eye-watering success with hits like “Fact Hurts” and “About Rattling Time,” the four-time Grammy winner’s newest effort has dropped with a thud, reportedly streaming below one million occasions on Spotify inside the first 24 hours of its launch, promoting fewer than 3,000 copies in its first week in keeping with Rolling Stone and failing to crack the Billboard 200 within the first two weeks.
As soon as ubiquitous within the tradition — as a lot for her full-on embrace of self-love and physique positivity as for her infectious anthems — Lizzo is now relegated to “what occurred to her?” standing.
On social media, the 38-year-old pop star has supplied her personal theories as to why her album, the provocatively titled “Bitch,” is failing to interrupt by way of, whereas additionally showing to push again on haters. “The algorithm-based method that social media capabilities now’s destroying the music business,” she mentioned in a TikTok posted on Might 12, addressing why some could not have even been conscious she was dropping a brand new album simply weeks later. “In case your algorithm is tremendous serving you issues out of order of once they’re occurring, then most people has no thought when music is definitely popping out.”
Why three former Lizzo dancers are suing the pop star
However loads of different folks have ideas, too.
“It was by no means our intention to take down a girl of colour,” mentioned Noelle Rodriguez, one in all three dancers who filed swimsuit towards Lizzo in 2023, a second that severely challenged the singer’s public picture. “It was by no means an intention to take down a plus dimension lady of colour particularly.”
Rodriguez and her co-claimants — Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams — levied accusations of sexual harassment, physique shaming and a hostile office towards Lizzo, in addition to her manufacturing firm Large Grrrl Large Touring, Inc. (BGBT) and an individual described as “dance solid captain.”
The three ladies haven’t spoken about their swimsuit towards Lizzo past interviews when it was initially filed in August 2023 and got here collectively just lately to speak solely with CNN.
They’re watching this second with blended feelings. On one hand, they really feel disillusioned and traumatized following what they allege occurred after they have been employed for a job they felt was necessary, notably as ladies with larger our bodies. On the opposite, they are saying they’re decided to see the case by way of.
Their intention, they insist, was to not harm their former boss, however moderately to carry her accountable for the values she has publicly portrayed herself as holding.
“I don’t actually assume it’s our place to debate and even have an opinion on how her profession goes at this level, when that wasn’t even our purpose for submitting within the first place,” Rodriguez mentioned. “It was by no means a smear marketing campaign. It was by no means to take anyone down. I feel if something, on reflection, I’ve truly had some unhappiness in the truth that it has impacted her profession.”
Lizzo’s lawyer Melissa Glass mentioned in a press release that the claims made within the swimsuit “don’t have any foundation in actuality.”
“Not a single witness has come ahead to assist their allegations,” the assertion learn. “Actually, their claims have been refuted by 18 witnesses, together with many of the different dancers on ‘The Particular Tour.’” Glass added, “we’re assured that Lizzo will prevail within the case.”
Lizzo has different defenders.
Chawnta’ Van, who first danced with Lizzo in 2019 and labored with the three ladies who filed the lawsuit, mentioned she felt “blindsided” and “heartbroken” by the allegations as she thought everybody on the tour “have been all on this collectively, however apparently not.”
After the swimsuit was filed, Van mentioned plans for all future performances with Lizzo floor to a halt.
“As a dancer, we’re the bottom paid. We work gig by gig, actually,” mentioned Van, who was linked to CNN by way of Lizzo’s attorneys. “So when all these things got here out and every little thing received canceled, it was actually onerous.”
When Lizzo burst on the scene in 2019, it appeared to herald, or not less than symbolize, a brand new second. Right here was this drive of musical prowess and private charisma, residing unapologetically as herself — and being celebrated for it. As a plus-sized Black lady, she impressed hundreds of thousands — and in addition noticed her physique unfairly used to litigate the problems of the day. She confronted huge scrutiny — and fought again in sort, like when she didn’t take criticism about her backside-bearing outfit inflicting a stir at a Laker sport in 2019.
“It doesn’t actually matter what goes on on the web, nothing actually breaks my pleasure,” she mentioned on the time. “I’m a extremely stable, grounded particular person, and I do know that I’m stunning since you’ve by no means seen — in a very long time — a physique like mine doing no matter it desires to do and dressing the best way that it clothes and shifting the best way that it strikes.”
The claims within the lawsuit — which included allegations that the dancers felt pressured in going to nude reveals and interacting with performers— stand at odds with Lizzo’s public picture and message. “I really feel like her entire model, apart from physique positivity, was positivity typically — uplifting ladies, particularly uplifting ladies of colour and simply, you recognize, being sort to 1 one other, being sort to your self,” Williams mentioned in an interview. “Her whole message and platform and her model was all the reverse every time doorways have been closed, every time we have been in non-public conferences.”
Lizzo has denied the accusations. Shortly after the swimsuit was filed, she posted a press release on social media calling the allegations “false” and “as unbelievable as they sound.”
“I do know what it feels prefer to be physique shamed each day and would completely by no means criticize or terminate an worker due to their weight,” Lizzo wrote.
Within the three years because it’s been filed, the lawsuit has been inching alongside, with each side buying and selling briefs and appeals, Ron Zambrano, a lawyer for the three ladies, mentioned in an interview. Final 12 months, a decide threw out the accusations of physique shaming following a movement from Lizzo’s workforce that argued that occasions just like the nude present outings have been protected free speech as a part of the artistic course of. Zambrano and his purchasers are at the moment ready for a date from the California Court docket of Enchantment to listen to oral arguments.
Chatting with the “At present” present, Lizzo mentioned she declined to settle the swimsuit as a result of “I’m a girl who is just not afraid of the reality popping out, so I’m persevering with to struggle.”
Many followers have been greatly surprised by the lawsuit and within the aftermath, the singer took breaks from social media. When she re-emerged in 2024, she was slimmer however nonetheless joyful to indicate off her physique, first in a sheer Jean Paul Gaultier black-and-white costume and afterward social media.
The identical 12 months, Lizzo mentioned in a social media video that she was now not vegan, having found that including issues like egg white cups and grilled rooster helped her really feel higher and obtain her weight reduction targets. She went on to report a model of the “Child Again Ribs” jingle for Chili’s, showing in an advert enjoying a rib-shaped flute.
The turnaround has been hanging. In a 2025 essay on Substack, Lizzo wrote that she started reducing weight in 2023 after she grew to become the “topic of a vicious scandal” that left her feeling depressed. “I wanted a strategy to course of my ache by way of my physique, so I began with Pilates,” she wrote.
“I used to be sick and uninterested in my id being overshadowed by my fatness. Folks couldn’t see my expertise as a musician as a result of they have been too busy accusing me of constructing ‘being fats’ my entire persona,” she wrote. “I do know that my story isn’t distinctive. I do know that ladies in larger our bodies, particularly black ladies in larger our bodies, have had this working towards them since endlessly.”
Throughout a latest look on the podcast “In Your Goals With Owen Thiele,” Lizzo took exception to celebs she felt had gotten too skinny, which struck some as a “weight reduction for me, however not for thee” second from a girl who has lengthy complained about others commenting on her physique.
“I don’t have criticism for the artists or these people who find themselves dropping all this weight as a lot as I’ve criticism for the system convincing them that their our bodies aren’t ok,” she mentioned.
To the ladies who’re suing her, the seemingly defiant lady who typically says and does issues that appear to contradict her public persona is the particular person they got here to know.
“It wasn’t the load loss that’s form of made her abandon her followers. She form of deserted them from the start,” Williams mentioned. “You’re beginning to see it somewhat bit extra, however that is who she’s been since day one, sadly. So I don’t assume that is one thing new. That is her real character on the core and on the coronary heart.”
Lizzo responds to backlash over smoothie detox
“What’s sophisticated about Lizzo is Lizzo did make her physique dimension a part of her model,” mentioned Tigress Osborn, govt director of the Nationwide Affiliation to Advance Fats Acceptance (NAAFA). There’s additionally the truth that Lizzo is a Black lady, the activist mentioned.
“What Lizzo received was the magical Black good friend dynamic,” Osborn mentioned. “That Hollywood trope about just like the magical Black good friend who’s going make your life larger by inspiring you and serving to you.”
Not solely does Lizzo have an allegation of fats shaming lingering from her previous, however she herself is now not as deeply relatable to the plus-sized neighborhood along with her physique transformation.
“If you need your followers to narrate to you as an individual, then you must be an individual, not a model,” mentioned Osborn, who is obvious that folks have a proper to be no matter dimension they want. “If you need your followers to narrate to you as a model, then model loyalty ends when the model adjustments.”
Having labored with Lizzo since 2020, keyboard participant Lynette Williams insisted the load loss occurred as a result of the singer “simply desires to be more healthy.”
Lynette Williams, who’s herself plus dimension and was additionally referred to CNN by Lizzo’s lawyer, added: “It’s not about attempting to adapt to what society thinks.”
She additionally thinks the swimsuit performed a bigger issue within the low gross sales for Lizzo’s newest effort. Of the music itself on the album, she mentioned, “I feel it’s hearth.”
Watching Lizzo’s re-emergence has been harrowing for the three plaintiffs. They are saying they haven’t chosen to take heed to her music.
The three dancers had been overjoyed once they joined Lizzo’s troupe, excited to indicate that “massive ladies” had the strikes to match their curves.
Davis mentioned dancing for Lizzo — her “first skilled dance job out the gate” — was her “dream job.”
“I used to be like, that is wonderful,” Davis mentioned. “After which to have the actions play out the best way they did was actually devastating.”
Like Crystal Williams, Davis had been a contestant on Lizzo’s Amazon actuality present “Watch Out for the Large Grrrls” which centered across the star discovering plus-sized dancers for her tour.
Rodriguez was a extra established dancer and had appeared within the 2021 music video for Lizzo’s single “Rumors.”
The occasions of the previous few years have impacted their careers. They fear about their reputations. Rodriguez, who has shifted extra into appearing, mentioned she’s contemplating going again to high school and pursuing regulation due to the expertise. Crystal Williams mentioned that, like their former employer, they’re anticipating the info to be heard.
“We would like probability and a possibility for her to be held accountable. We would like the info to return out, we wish proof to return out,” she mentioned. “We would like to have the ability to tackle the reality simply as a lot as she does. So we’re able to see it by way of.”
