Lizzo shocks with announcement as she quits music industry
In a shocking move, US singer Lizzo announced her decision to quit. While the Juice singer did not explicitly state, it appears she may be referring to her music career. Besides her musical endeavours, Lizzo also co-owns the clothing brand Yitty.
The singer shared a screenshot of text on her profile grid and Instagram story, where she boasts 12.1 million followers. “I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she started the post.
Lizzo furthered, “All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it."
She continued, "I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout and views... being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look... my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name,” the singer continued. The Boys singer concluded the emotional message with,“ I didn’t sign up for this sh*t. I QUIT.”
Her announcement comes Friday and follows criticism from the attorney representing her accusers, who condemned the DNC for selecting her as the headliner for Joe Biden's Radio City fundraiser. Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, headlined a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton on Thursday, offering a robust defence of the White House's handling of the Gaza crisis as protesters interrupted the event.
Biden, who travelled with Obama on Air Force One to New York, took part in a discussion with Clinton moderated by "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in front of thousands of guests. Organisers say the event raised more than $25 million for Biden's US reelection campaign.
The event included musicians Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele performing. Some high-paying attendees had their pictures with the three presidents taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. Ron Zambrano — who represents three former dancers suing the Grammy Award winner for sexual harassment — described the whole affair as “a terrible look.”
“It’s shameful that Lizzo would be chosen to headline an event like this amid such egregious allegations,” he told NewsNation in an interview after the fundraiser that featured Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
“Without getting into the politics, I can’t imagine why anyone would want Lizzo representing them in any way, given her reprehensible behaviour,” Zambrano added. “It’s just a terrible look.” Tickets for Thursday's Biden event cost between $250 and $500,000, according to a Democrat familiar with the planning. More than 5,000 people were expected to attend.
The controversy
Last year, Lizzo was sued by three of her former dancers who allege the body-positive pop diva created a hostile work environment, court filings seen by AFP. The suit filed in Los Angeles accuses Lizzo, whose self-love message has resonated around the globe, as well as other defendants of various violations of California labour law.
"Plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez allege sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment, among other things," the law firm representing them said in a statement. "Davis and Williams were eventually fired while Rodriguez resigned over the appalling behaviour," it added.
One of the allegations centers around an Amsterdam red-light district sex show which the dancers say they felt pressured to attend. At the show Lizzo pressured her dancers to interact with the nude performers, the suit alleges.
It also alleges that Lizzo's dance leader, Shirlene Quigley, frequently made sexual comments and proselytized her Christian beliefs, especially against pre-marital sex, "regardless of protestations." The dancers also say that there was an extended dispute over compensation between legs of Lizzo's global tour.
The lawsuit alleges that white managers from Lizzo's production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. (BGBT), which was also named in the complaint, "often accused the Black members of the dance team of being lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes."
"Not only do these words ring familiar as tropes used to disparage and discourage Black women from advocating for themselves, but the same accusations were not levied against dancers who are not Black," according to the complaint cited in the statement. "Only the dance cast - comprised of full-figured women of colour - were ever spoken to in this manner, giving Plaintiffs the impression that these comments were charged with racial and fat-phobic animus," it added.
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