When three of Lizzo's former backup dancers filed lawsuits against the singer in August 2023, accusing her of sexual misconduct and making a hostile work environment, they helped expose a culture of “celebrity abuse” that’s “rampant” within the entertainment industry. says the ladies's advocate.
One of the outcomes of the dancers' lawsuit is that two more former employees of Lizzo and one other top music artist, Megan Thee Stallion, have come forward to file anti-employment lawsuits. The lawsuit against Megan Thee Stallion comes this week.
“The 'wall of silence' surrounding celebrity abuse and toxicity has been broken and weakened by the first Lizzo accusers to come forward,” L.A.-based employment lawyer Ron Zambrano said in a press release to this news organization. Zambrano's firm represents all five plaintiffs in three lawsuits filed since August against Lizzo and Meghan Thee Stallion. “This has empowered others to at least consider that what they are going through or have been through was not only unacceptable but also unlawful behavior.”
On Tuesday, a former cameraman for Megan Thee Stallion filed a lawsuit against the “Hot Girl Summer” rapper in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging, amongst other things, that he was trapped in a moving vehicle with the star in Spain in 2022 and she or he had sex with of a girl, NBC News reported.
Emilio Garcia claimed he was asked by Megan Thee Stallion the following day if he had seen her having sex, the lawsuit says. When he confirmed this, she told him never to discuss what he saw, and she or he then insulted, shamed, and treated him in another way. When they returned from the trip, he said his compensation structure had been modified.
The harassment “was so severe or pervasive” that it created a “hostile, abusive work environment” that made Garcia’s “working conditions intolerable,” the lawsuit says.
Garcia's lawsuit against Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, comes the identical week that the Grammy winner announced that her global Hot Girl Summer Tour would come with a June 23 performance on the Chase Center in San Francisco .
News of the lawsuit resulted in an instantaneous denial from Megan Thee Stallion's legal team. Attorney Alex Spiro criticized the “salacious allegations” made against his client as an “attempt to embarrass her,” referring to Garcia's claims that he was forced to observe her have sex. In a press release to the Daily BeastSpiro insisted the lawsuit was “an employment lawsuit for money” without involving a sexual harassment claim.
Zambrano hit back, saying it was no surprise that Megan Thee Stallion would deny the allegations. In a press release to the Daily Beast, he explained that Garcia's hostile workplace allegations stemmed from his being forced into sexual voyeurism.
“This is not intended to embarrass her, but is simply an attempt to hold her accountable for her illegal actions, just as everyone else should be, celebrity or not,” Zambrano said.
In a press release to this news organization, the lawyer also dismissed the concept circulating online that only male stars might have been perpetrators – or that Garcia was excited in regards to the automobile sex, participated in it or got out his camera to film it .
“Just because he is a man, he can still be a victim of sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace – rights that should be respected,” the lawyer said.
The lawsuits against Lizzo also allege that the “Truth Hurts” singer promoted a toxic workplace rife with sexual harassment, in addition to weight shaming and racial and non secular discrimination.
Lizzo has denied the allegations and her lawyers have asked that each lawsuits be dismissed. She proposed in March in an Instagram post that the aftermath had caused her to contemplate quitting music. While she didn't specifically name the lawsuits, she vaguely noted that “lies were told about me in order to gain influence and views.”
“I'm getting tired of being dragged around by everyone in my life and on the internet,” Lizzo wrote. “I just want to make music, make people happy and help make the world a little better than I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.”
Lizzo later clarified that she I didn't plan on stopping music but that she would just stop taking note of the “negative energy.”
Zambrano told this news organization that Commons themes emerged from the allegations against Lizzo and Meghan Thee Stallion and in phone conversations together with his company. West Coast Litigation Attorneys, has received from desperate staff who’re afraid to take motion against powerful bosses. Celebrities can get away with abusive behavior because people should work, he said. Even when employees file complaints internally, nothing is finished, “which further encourages the behavior,” he said.
“Where the source of the unlawful behavior wields so much power (as in the celebrity/artist context), these stories and violations are widespread,” Zambrano said.
“We need to stop expecting that those who work for stars should just deal with this egregious and illegal behavior, suck it up and be grateful for their access,” Zambrano continued. “This is a recipe for treatment abuse and underpayment, not just in this lawsuit but in many other stories that have yet to be told.”
Zambrano also pushed back against claims that his clients' lawsuits unfairly goal women of color who’ve gained power within the entertainment industry. He said: “Our customers are people of color themselves – and four out of five of them are female.”
Zambrano's law firm first made headlines last August when it filed a lawsuit on behalf of three dancers, Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, against Lizzo, her production company and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley. The dancers had worked on Lizzo's Special Tour, which began in September 2022 and resulted in July 2023.
Summarized in court documents by The CutThe dancers allege, amongst other things, that Lizzo pressured them to “attend outings that focused on nudity and sexuality,” ignoring their discomfort in these situations. One such outing took place in Amsterdam after they accompanied the singer to a nightclub in the town's red light district. The lawsuit alleges that Lizzo “hounded” her co-workers there to have physical contact with naked dancers.
The dancers also allege that they experienced body shaming at work, a very shocking allegation since Lizzo has often been praised for promoting body positivity, based on The Cut.
The following month, stylist Asha Daniels filed a separate lawsuit, claiming she experienced an environment full of sexual harassment, overwork and racism while on tour, The Cut reported. In her lawsuit, Daniels named Lizzo and her production company as defendants, in addition to the concert's tour and wardrobe managers.
Daniel's lawsuit claims she was fired “without notice or cause” after she spoke out, The Cut reported. While her lawsuit didn’t cite specific allegations of misconduct against Lizzo, she said in an interview with ABC News that knowledgeable environment ultimately depends upon the boss. Zambrano reiterated that view in a press release released when Daniels' lawsuit was filed: “Lizzo is the boss, so the responsibility remains hers.”
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