Lizzo’s legal team filed a motion seeking an immediate dismissal of the case.
In the ongoing legal saga surrounding GRAMMY-winning artist Lizzo, her attorneys have fired back at the harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed by Asha Daniels, a former clothing designer for the singer’s Special Tour.
Daniels, who sued Lizzo in September, alleges that the singer — whose real name is Melissa Jefferson — condones a sexualized, racially charged and illegal work environment. The suit alleges that Lizzo allowed her management team to express racist and fatphobic comments, mock Black women, deny workers medical care and forced Daniels to endure degrading sexual harassment.
In response to the lawsuit, Lizzo’s spokesperson, Stefan Friedman, told ET that the lawsuit was a “bogus, absurd publicity-stunt by someone who “never actually met or even spoke with Lizzo.”
On Friday, Lizzo’s legal team, led by attorney Marty Singer, filed a motion seeking an immediate dismissal of the case.
In the motion, Singer claims Daniels was a disgruntled employee who was terminated after just three weeks on the job for failing to comply with instructions, refusing to perform assigned tasks, and ultimately not showing up for work on the day of a concert in Paris, France.
Lizzo’s attorney labeled the lawsuit as “meritless and salacious” and argued that Daniels had no connection to California, where the case was filed, as she is a New York resident who worked for a Delaware corporation in Europe.
“During her brief employment by [Lizzo’s touring company], Plaintiff refused to comply with instructions from her supervisors and tour management, failed to perform the work that she was assigned and, eventually, just played hooky and refused to show up for work. Unsurprisingly, she was terminated after abandoning her post on the day of a concert in Paris, France,” Singer says in a statement.
In response, Daniels’ lawyers issued a statement, saying, “This motion was expected and is yet another Hail Mary by Lizzo’s team to try to shift blame to the victims, as she has done to the three other plaintiffs who have sued her for similar allegations of harassment, disability discrimination and retaliatory termination. Lizzo and her lawyers can continue trying to rationalize her illegal and wretched conduct but we remain committed to seeking justice for our clients, and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behavior in a public forum.”
This legal battle follows a previous lawsuit filed by three former backup dancers in August, accusing Lizzo and her company of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
Lizzo’s legal team has similarly dismissed those claims as a “fabricated sob story” launched by opportunists seeking a quick payday.
The motion to dismiss that case is currently pending.
Source: ET
