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Lizzo’s Former Creative Director and Documentary Filmmaker Speak Out Against Singer
View Date:2024-12-23 20:04:35
Lizzo is facing more "hostile" work environment accusations.
Shortly after three of the singer's former dancers filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and weight-shaming, more of Lizzo's former collaborators are speaking out about their own experiences.
Filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison said she underwent mistreatment while she was briefly director of the 2022 documentary Love, Lizzo. "In 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary," Sophia tweeted on Aug. 1. "I walked away after about 2 weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her."
Calling the Grammy winner "arrogant, self-centered and unkind," Sophia said she was thankful to have walked away when she did.
"I was not protected and was thrown into a s--ty situation with little support," Sophia added. "My spirit said to run as fast as you f--king can and I'm so grateful I trusted my gut. I felt gaslit and was deeply hurt, but I've healed."
E! News has reached out to Lizzo's rep for comment on the allegation and has not heard back.
While showing support to plaintiffs Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, Sophia slammed Lizzo in a follow-up tweet accusing her of cultivating an "extremely toxic and hostile working environment" that "undermines the work, labor, and authority of other Black and brown womxn in the process."
She then referenced Doug Pray, the filmmaker who replaced her on the project, adding in parenthesis, "Notice how the documentary ended up being directed by a cis white man."
Sophia called out Lizzo for her past as a champion for body positivity and self-love, stating the singer was a "narcissist bully" who "built her brand off of lies." She added, "I was excited to support and protect a Black woman through the documentary process but quickly learned her image and 'message' was a curated facade."
Courtney Hollinquest, another former dancer who is not part of the lawsuit, further noted on her Instagram Story that the allegations raised against Lizzo were "very much my experience in my time there."
Lizzo's former creative director Quinn Whitney Wilson also reposted Courtney's message, praising the three dancers for sharing their side of the story.
"I haven't been apart of that world for around three years, for a reason," Quinn wrote on her Instagram Story. "I very much applaud the dancers courage to bring this to light. and I grieve parts of my own experience."
Referencing their shared experience, Courtney then sent a message back to Quinn, writing in a separate post, "my sister forever only a few know what we've been through … love u Quinn."
In addition to Lizzo, the dancers are also suing her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring and dance captain Shirlene Quigley, who they alleged would proselytize about her Christian views and overshare "detailed stories about her masturbatory habits and sexual fantasies."
E! News reached out to Lizzo's rep and Quigley for comment on the lawsuit but hasn't heard back.
Another alleged incident listed in the lawsuit included a February 2023 visit to Amsterdam's Red Light District, where Lizzo arranged for a group outing at an adult club, which the dancers said they felt obligated to attend. During the night, the plaintiffs accused Lizzo of "inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers," as well as pressuring Arianna to participate when the dancer said she repeated three times her desire not to.
A few months later, Arianna said in the lawsuit that she was confronted by Lizzo and choreographer Tanisha Scott of not being committed to her job, which, to the dancer, felt like "thinly veiled concerns" about her weight gain. Even though the sentiments were never explicitly mentioned, Arianna said in the lawsuit that she felt like she "needed to explain her weight gain and disclose intimate personal details about her life in order to keep her job."
The dancers are seeking damages for emotional distress, unpaid wages, loss of earnings and attorney's fees.
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