In response to a lawsuit filled with damning claims from three of her ex-dancers, Lizzo's legal team has obtained signed declarations from 18 members of her staff to dispute the accusations.
Court documents recently obtained by TMZ show that the staff involved in Lizzo's tour production have no reports of mistreatment or discrimination.
In the Los Angeles Superior Court Friday, dancers, choreographers, and musicians stated that they never saw body-shaming, racism, or other forms of harassment while working with the pop star.
In a lawsuit lodged by the professional hoofer Arianna Davis, it was alleged that the "Make Damn Sure" singer made hurtful remarks regarding her weight gain despite having been informed of her struggles with binging, depression, and anxiety.
In contrast, Melissa Locke - a dancer who has been associated with Lizzo for many years - insisted in her statement that "Lizzo would never body shame anyone, Davis included. It is completely against her nature to comment about someone's weight, which could be seen as hurtful or negative."
As a contestant on "Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls," Jayla Sullivan claims she never saw Lizzo shaming Davis or Crystal Williams.
According to Sullivan, it was quite the opposite - Lizzo motivated everyone in her presence to embrace their distinct body and self-love.
Describing herself as the "biggest dancer on tour" in the legal documents, it was clear that given her feelings about Lizzo, she had utmost devotion.
Indeed, in her statement, Banks exclaimed, "Lizzo assembled an entire group of plus-size dancers to showcase our talent and celebrate us."
Contrary to what has been said by plaintiffs regarding the team outing at Bananenbar in Amsterdam - an adult entertainment club - the new assertions reject their memories of any forced involvement in inappropriate sexual acts.
As was first claimed in the lawsuit, it was alleged that Lizzo tried to make dancers interact with nude performers in ways such as catching objects thrown by them and eating things held between their legs.
Yet, according to Michelle Baptiste's declaration, she saw Davis at the bar that night and described him as being at ease.
In her statement, dancer Melissa Locke recalls speaking with Davis and Rodriguez the day following Bananenbar.
According to Locke, all of them were enjoying themselves immensely during that time.
"They never said they felt uncomfortable or pressured," she alleges in her statement. "They were very enthusiastic about what a great night out they had."
"I remember telling them, 'That sounds like so much fun; I wish you had woken me up to go with you.' They agreed that it was a fun night and told me that they went out in the Red Light District after. They did not complain or sound upset in any way."
The dispute surrounding the alleged "pressured" outings by the "Juice" singer's staffers has seen many different interpretations.
In particular, Asha Daniels filed a separate lawsuit in September of this year, claiming she was subject to verbal and physical abuse from her manager, Amanda Nomura, while employed by Lizzo.
These troubling allegations fuel the fire behind the earlier toxic work environment claims.
Although Lizzo maintains that specific "racist and fat-phobic" comments have been made without consequence, her dancers have gone a step further to make sure her message is clear.
Chawnta Van explained, "To be clear, I never experienced or witnessed racism during the tour."
Kiara Mooring, a dancer, disagrees with Rodriguez's allegation that Lizzo was threatening physical violence during their confrontation on May 3rd, 2023.
She stated: "I am aware of the complaint which states that Rodriguez felt physically threatened by Lizzo when she resigned."
In defense of dance captain Shirlene Quigley, the defendant in Lizzo's suit, multiple declarations have been provided by her colleagues.
Such statements, collected by the attorneys for the "Truth Hurts" singer, are being used to attempt to invalidate the claims made in the original lawsuit, which included sexual harassment and discrimination allegations.
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